


One Day We'll Share A Normal Life

by MJ1Hawk



Series: What Comes Next [2]
Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Arguing, Cowgirl Position, Explicit Sexual Content, F/F, F/M, Family Drama, Family Reunions, Female Ejaculation, Fluff and Smut, Girl Penis, Impregnation, Making Love, Making Out, Making Up, Oral Sex, Parent-Child Relationship, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Pregnancy, Pregnant Sex, Psychological Drama, Romance, Rough Sex, Slice of Life, Strap-Ons, Talking, Tender Sex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-26
Updated: 2020-12-21
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:21:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 60,096
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27720640
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MJ1Hawk/pseuds/MJ1Hawk
Summary: On the day of their one year marriage anniversary, Edelgard is sent a letter from her dear friend Lysithea; the girl's heart is failing her. Once Byleth hears the news, she has no choice but to reunite with Claude, whom she has had a bitter falling out with in the past months, to find a surgeon for Lysithea... and possibly even Edelgard. What will come of an emperor who loses her crest? How will she continue to go about her life and strive for a sense of normalcy? F! Byleth x Edelgard. A sequel to, "Making Wrongs Right."
Relationships: Edelgard von Hresvelg & Lysithea von Ordelia, Edelgard von Hresvelg/My Unit | Byleth, Lysithea von Ordelia/Claude von Riegan, My Unit | Byleth & Claude von Riegan
Series: What Comes Next [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2027531
Kudos: 49





	1. Chapter 1

  
_A year. One whole year since El and I married_. Byleth smiles to herself, leisurely stuffing her hands behind her head and digging her knuckles into the lush vibrant grass she’s sprawled out on. The sky’s almost blindly bright, and the sun is slowly littering her eyes with little white spots that she has to blink away every couple of seconds. She squeezes her eyes shut and shakes her head fast enough for her bangs to shift around and tickle her lashes.  
  
 _Df Df Df Df!_  
  
Those heavy footsteps can only belong to one person. Byleth grins as she kicks herself off of the ground and spins on her heel with her arms thrown out for a hug. Of course, the emperor leans in with ease and fixes her wife with a crooked smile. Byleth glances around again. She spends almost all of her time out here in the palace’s massive garden anyhow. Mostly she just watches the huge fountain do its thing while making small talk with a bunch of the gardeners who always find some sort of bush to busy themselves with. _Now that I think about it, I have no idea how those women don’t go crazy walking around in circles all day. ...Perhaps I should invite them to go fishing with me sometime soon._ Now gloved fingers are snapping in her face.  
  
“Earth to the empress,” Edelgard sings, rolling her eyes playfully.  
  
“Wow, that was a good eye roll, El.”  
  
“If you’d prefer a good punch to the stomach, I’d be happy to indulge you.” Byleth winces and takes one big step backwards. Of course there was no malice to the words.  
  
“...Maybe not,” Byleth chuckles, rubbing her head. “So what was it you needed, my love?” Edelgard busies her hands with her skirt, as she sucks in a sharp breath. “Uh oh. That’s never a good sign.”  
  
“You’d be correct,” Edelgard starts hesitantly. “Lysithea has contacted me.” Byleth’s eyes twitch. “Yes. In a letter.” Edelgard pulls said letter, done up in a yellow and green envelope, out of her dress pocket and hands it to the empress who snatches it up like a lightning-fast thief. Byleth takes one big breath in. It smells like Claude. Peppermint and spice. Her heart’s aching already. “Byleth?” No response. Edelgard moves to touch the side of her wife’s face before kissing her furrowed brow. “Would you like me to read it aloud instead?”  
  
“Y-yeah. Yeah maybe that’s… maybe that’s best after all.” She clears her throat hard, handing the letter to Edelgard. The emperor watches Byleth’s face, sensing hesitance even still. “It’s ok,” Byleth says with a weary smile. “Let me hear it, please.” The emperor sniffs as she unfolds the note and sticks the envelope in her dress pocket.  
  
“‘Dearest Edelgard,’ Lysithea writes. ‘For you are the only one who can understand the strife I am unrightfully surviving now.’” Byleth already doesn’t like where this is going. “‘My lungs only act at a mere forty percent capacity. My stomach aches and pushes acids up in my heart that seems to be beating less and less by the week. I fear I really am dying already,’” Edelgard reads quietly, cocking her jaw. “‘Yet so young. Twenty. I barely got the chance to drink alcohol. Funny isn’t it? But I know you understand, Edelgard. Even if you did baby me about it (I did enjoy all of that cake however).’” Edelgard faintly chuckles at that, but Byleth isn’t fooled. She can see Edelgard’s eyes water more and more by the second.  
  
“Let me read it.”  
  
“No it’s quite alr--”  
  
“--Give it to me,” Byleth insists, taking it from Edelgard gently. Edelgard sighs, hugging herself as she leans into Byleth’s side. Of course the empress is sure to throw her arm around the emperor’s shoulders for some comfort. As Byleth reads the next words, her heart comes up in her throat, threatening to choke her up. She won’t let it. _I won’t, dammit_. “‘Claude asked me to marry him, even after I told him everything. He said something odd, and it kind of seemed like he already knew about my situation. But that couldn’t have been you, right Edelgard?’” Byleth grits her teeth for a second. The sinking feeling in her gut tells her she knows where this is going yet again. “It was the empress who told him, yes? Come to think of it, he hasn’t talked about her in months. I don’t quite understand why, but she must have seriously irked him--’ ME?! _He_ was the one who--! Ugh whatever,” Byleth groans, being pet on the back by her wife.  
  
“I knew that part would upset you.” Byleth just hums irritatedly.  
  
“‘--for him to ignore her now. Best friends don’t just stop being best friends, right? So… that’s why I need to ask you a favor, Edelgard. I need the empress to talk to Claude again.’” Byleth pauses, blinking hard. “‘I need her to tell him to give up on me. I’ve already talked to my parents and… their faces broke me. I can’t take off on them now when there’s a chance I won’t even make it back home. I know you get that. So PLEASE. I can’t die knowing someone will drive themselves into the ground for such a lost cause like myself. Please.’”  
  
….  
  
Edelgard takes the note, stuffing it into her pocket carelessly now as she looks to Byleth who’s pressing her tongue up inside of her cheek.  
  
“What will we do?” Edelgard asks, keeping her voice soft as she wraps her arms around her wife’s neck. Certainly, the best part of being in Enbarr has been Edelgard’s shift towards affection. It seems like even out on the streets among the civilians, Edelgard never hesitates to touch Byleth. Perhaps it’s because of the lacking threat hiding out in the darkness… or it’s just because Edelgard is that hopelessly in love that she can’t keep herself away (no matter the reason, the empress will never be caught complaining). Byleth hugs Edelgard back, although unenthusiastically with one measly arm. “Should I seek Claude out myself? Or should I boost the funding to Garreg Mach and have Lindhart and Hanneman’s research pushed further out to Brigid’s scientists?”  
  
“Definitely do that second part,” Byleth says. “As for Claude, I’ll… figure something out.” As for what that is, I have no idea. The fingers playing with the ends of her hair serve as a distraction however. Byleth pulls back to look at Edelgard’s softer face. It really seems like she’s been smiling more too. It’s so so welcome, and it makes Byleth’s insides feel ten times lighter. “...Can all of this heavy stuff wait until tomorrow?” Byleth asks tiredly.  
  
“Tch. You never change, my light.” Byleth smirks, squeezing Edelgard’s waist as she looks her wife’s new dress up and down. It’s a dress that covers up everything just like her old one, but instead of crimson, it’s burgundy, and the skirt is one part black lace with silk underneath so as not to see the emperor’s legs fully.  
  
“Seems like you dressed up,” Byleth comments knowingly, flicking her wife’s nose. “I adore the muted colors on you. It feels… even more mature, I suppose.” Edelgard hums grittily, as she presses a wet kiss to the underside of Byleth’s jaw just to hear Byleth go-- “Nnnngh.”  
  
“I was sure last night would have been far and away enough to prove that I am indeed mature,” Edelgard purrs. Byleth thinks back to all of those wonderful things that her and Edelgard did well into the morning and her eyes roll back into her head. She clumsily has to grab onto Edelgard tighter so as not to fall backwards like a complete fool. “Besides,” Edelgard bites at the lobe of her wife’s ear, “It’s our anniversary today,” Edelgard licks around the shell of her ear now, “And last night was just a warm-up for the main course tonight.” At that, Byleth shivers violently. The kind that makes your bones ache and your skin erupt in goosebumps.  
  
“Well you--You better--I--” Byleth groans at the laugh Edelgard’s coughing up at her expense. “ _Whatever_.” Byleth roughly slams her mouth against Edelgard’s suddenly, ignoring the gardener who’s just gasped before very obviously sprinting away in fear of Edelgard’s no-doubt loud scolding that should come. She’s sure to mess up every bit of Edelgard’s lipstick too, sucking and biting and licking as if they didn’t just do this hours prior. Byleth pulls off with a satisfied whine. “I was trying to say, that you bet I have plans for you tonight as well.” Slightly dazed looking, Edelgard nods stiffly as she wipes her lips with her thumb, just to have that thumb bit by Byleth.  
  
“Ow.” The smirking empress just bites down harder until Edelgard sets her straight with a hard whack against the shoulder.  
  
“OW! I don’t have strength like you do anymore, El! No fair.”  
  
“Yes yes,” Edelgard chuckles, shrugging indifferently. “I so much as tap you and you go crying.” Byleth pouts at her now. “Oh stop it,” Edelgard laughs again, pinching Byleth’s cheek. “Now let us carry on with our day. I have plans for our supper.”  
  
“Good. Because I have plans for our lunch.” Byleth excitedly takes Edelgard’s hand and starts dragging her further into the gardens. “Come on! Move those feet, El!”  
  
“I’m walking just as spritely as you,” Edelgard argues curtly.  
  
“It’s not fast enough,” Byleth whines, nearly pulling Edelgard’s arm from its socket now as they hurry past the gold gates that lead out towards Enbarr’s lush forest.  
  
“I know not what to tell you then,” Edelgard jokes, waving to a civilian off in the distance.  
  
“Carry me and then you can use that crest of yours to teleport us or whatever it is you do.” Narrowly missing a branch that Byleth just ducked under without warning Edelgard, the emperor barks out her disapproval.  
  
“Are you trying to behead me? I hope you realize that’d mean you’d have to rule on your lonesome.”  
  
“Mhm,” Byleth acknowledges boredly, hopping over a fallen tree.  
  
“And that would mean you’d have to pay attention to meetings… you know, the ones you always skip.”  
  
“They’re so boring,” Byleth complains breathily. “I rather watch paint dry.”  
  
“As would I. Yet I attend each one without complaint.” Byleth turns around and grins at Edelgard cockily. “...What?”  
  
“That’s only because I fuck your brains out the morning of.” Edelgard coughs, looking off to the side where a very interesting tree suddenly catches her eyes.  
  
“...Even still,” Edelgard chokes out. Typical of Edelgard, she ignores the teasing for a while and follows the empress in an embarrassed silence. Though there’s another twenty minutes of walking hand in hand and they have yet to arrive. “Bylethhhhh.”  
  
“I know, I know! Just… give me a second to remember where….” Edelgard stops in her tracks, forcing Byleth to halt as she whacks her empress’s shoulder yet again. “Ow!”  
  
“Do you mean to tell me you know not where we are going?”  
  
“Well.”  
  
“Ugh. My word,” Edelgard mumbles, shaking her head at the yellowing leaves overhead. Byleth drops Edelgard’s hand and checks the direction they're headed by looking at the fresh moss caking the bark. Then it clicks. She beckons Edelgard over, and they walk for another minute before they hear the quiet hiss of a small creek where little fish swim about above sparkly rocks and live plants. Once they finally push their way out from the forest, Edelgard’s jaw drops at the intimacy of the area Byleth has found, and she smiles foolishly at the red and white checkered blanket laid out amongst the short acid green grass. "Byleth," she breathes in awe. Byleth happily (and very casually) drops down on the blanket with her ankles crossed out in front of her. She holds a hand out for Edelgard to take as she fiddles with the small metal container at her side.  
  
"Remember way back, when you told me you wished you could just have a day to eat all the sweets you'd ever want?" Edelgard's smile somehow widens as she settles into her wife’s soft and warm side with her own legs tucked up under her backside. Byleth then pulls out about three different cakes, four donuts, three varying slices of pie, and one small cookie. "You definitely earned it, my emperor." Edelgard just leans forward, taking in the ridiculous amount of love that went into every part of this. She can't imagine how many people Byleth had to get in the kitchen to do this (and she’s sure Byleth took on most of the baking herself so as not to waste other's time). And that fact that after all these years, Byleth still remembers such an offhand comment a silly eighteen year old made…. It says so much about the woman Byleth is. She's the only person in the world who can make Edelgard feel truly special for all of the right reasons. Surely, Edelgard’s heart is pounding out of her chest right now.  
  
"I'm so thankful," Edelgard swears, shaking her head in disbelief as she cradles the empress’s face in her gloved hands for a moment.  
  
"It was nothing," Byleth shrugs, handing Edelgard a nicely polished fork. "Dig in, baby. Oh! Can I feed you myself?"  
  
"Absolutely not."  
  
"Dammit," Byleth cries. "Fine. But you should still go first. I didn't sprint all this way this morning for nothing. I hope it's still moist and not all soggy." Edelgard busies herself with a piece of the first vanilla cake slice that's coated with chocolate frosting and white chocolate shavings. When it touches her tongue, her mouth just about sets off ten bombs of taste buds that blow her mind to bits.  
  
"This is delicious!" Edelgard sings, kissing Byleth in thanks. The sweet cake on Edelgard’s lips transfers to the empress’s, who licks her own lips happily. "How did you manage to get all the way over here without my knowing?" Byleth chuckles, trying out a piece of Edelgard’s cake with her own fork.  
  
"That's why you saw me passed out on the grass. I ran about as fast as when Rhea spit fire at me." They both giggle at the memory despite it all. "I do have something else," she mentions much more seriously. Edelgard has to narrow her eyes.  
  
"My light. You spoil me thoroughly." Byleth purses her lips as she reaches into the metal box one more time to pull out a black velvet box that looks to fit something like jewelry. For whatever reason, Byleth's fiddling with it as she fixes it with a glare.  
  
"I'm sorry," Byleth mumbles, looking at Edelgard straight in the eyes again.  
  
"How do you mean? This day is already perfect."  
  
"No I… I know you don't like when I pry into your old life. But. I did. And that’s how I found this." Edelgard stiffens up a bit, not exactly sure where any of this could possibly be going. She takes the box Byleth hands her and braces herself, hardly even breathing as she pops the lid.  
  
….  
  
"H-how did you possibly…?" All of the air leaves her lungs as the indigo diamonds and silver chain shines brilliantly in the sun. Edelgard’s eyes instantly fill with bittersweet tears as her heart squeezes painfully. She puts a shaky hand over her mouth to stop the whimper that's sure to come snaking up out of her throat any second now. Byleth quickly wraps her arms around Edelgard’s waist and caresses the emperor’s tense temple with her lips. She's here for Edelgard. That's the only thing it could mean.  
  
"You never talk about your siblings, and I completely understand why." It was too painful. There was too much wrongfully felt guilt. "But you mentioned your sister Elincia once." Edelgard flinches at the name… even after all this time.  
  
Years Ago:  
  
 _"Sis! Sissssss~!" Edelgard, sweeping back her long brown hair with a rough brush has to roll her eyes.  
  
"What is it, Elincia?" Her sister bounces around their shared bedroom without a care in the world. Just like always. And then Elincia starts bouncing on Edelgard’s bed, dirty shoes and all. "Gyah! Get your stupid shoes off of MY bed!" Edelgard drops her brush loudly and rushes towards her sister with a fist raring to go.  
  
"Aaaah! Hahaha!" Elincia makes a game out of it, dodging Edelgard as she tries swiping at Elincia's legs. She just laughs even more manically when Edelgard tries to throw her shoulders into Elincia's side while keeping off of her own bed.  
  
"Come onnnnn," Edelgard cries, stomping her foot on the marble tiles. "I just made my bed! Get off!" Elincia gives it one more good bounce before she hops off.  
  
"Catch me sis!" Edelgard yelps in surprise as her sister (who is certainly five inches taller than Edelgard herself) comes flying towards her. Edelgard jumps up to catch Elincia halfway, but then--  
  
DOOF! BFFF!  
  
"AH! Dang it," Elincia whines, pushing herself off of Edelgard’s chest and forcing the younger girl's breath to be knocked out of her lungs once again. Edelgard coughs, trying to get herself off the floor that she just smacked her head on good enough for it to feel like it’s bleeding. Edelgard’s pretty sure she's seeing two of everything now. "Whoops," Elincia laughs.  
  
"Yeah. 'Whoops,' is right you big idiot."  
  
"Hey!" Elincia snickers, brushing her full-bangs out of her face. They were getting too long again, and Edelgard knew she'd probably have to cut them for her big sister soon. Isn't it kind of pathetic for Edelgard to be doing everything her sister says? ...No point arguing she figures, seeing as she'll do it anyway. She watches as her sister's indigo blue eyes renew with their own blazing light.  
  
"What now?" Edelgard asks boredly, rubbing at the back of her head again.  
  
"We should dance!"  
  
"Pffft. No thanks," Edelgard dismisses easily, shoving her sister as she fixes her comforter yet again. Too bad her sister takes that as her que to sit down on Edelgard’s hands. "...."  
  
"Stop being such a downer all the time, El. You should learn how to dance for when you're the emperor." And there's that sad look on Elincia's face. The one that wrinkles her nose and puckers her lips. Edelgard jerks her hands out from under her sister's butt just to shove her again.  
  
"Stop saying I'll be emperor! We have five other siblings you know." And there's that other look. The one that gives Edelgard the creeping suspicion that Elincia may have been hanging out around the adults for too long, and she heard something she shouldn't have. Yet Edelgard never asks what that secret is, even when she knows Elincia would tell her everything. But they both know Edelgard can't handle it. Sometimes that keeps the girl awake at night, when all she looks at is her ceiling that she knows every inch of.  
  
"You're going to be emperor one day. Emperor Edelgard," Elincia sings. It sounds so… broken. Her voice cracks as she says, "Emperor El."  
  
"You're El," Edelgard reminds her, putting a defiant hand on her hip. Elincia smiles gently, running her hands down Edelgard’s bare arms now.  
  
"Well. Only to you. Just like how you're my El, El." She giggles light heartedly as she taps Edelgard’s nose. Of course the young girl frowns at this.  
  
"I only like it when you call me that," Edelgard admits, leaning in somewhat reluctantly as she silently asks her sister to touch her again. Elincia does so earnestly. As her older sister's long nimble fingers play with Edelgard’s hair, Edelgard finds herself staring at the diamond necklace around Elincia's neck. She remembers being jealous when her sister got it nearly four years back. She didn't understand why their father got her something so elegant while he only ever gave Edelgard practical things like shoes and hair ties. Not even their other siblings ever got things like that. But… they all understood. Their father and most of the palace’s staff always liked Elincia the best. They spoiled her through and through. But it was clear Elincia hated it. Any gifts she got she almost always gave to Edelgard instead, but not that necklace. That necklace never left her sister's neck. Years later, Edelgard still never had the chance to find out why.  
  
"One day someone real special will call you that. And you'll finally thaw that frozen little heart of yours, sis." Edelgard scoffs.  
  
"My heart is fine, thank you." Elincia flicks her nose again, and then Edelgard flicks Elincia's just to have her's flicked again, and so the vicious cycle continues until they're curled up in a ball on the floor kicking each other around as sisters do. "I'm. Going. To. Win!" Edelgard lands one good fake punch to Elincia's stomach and the older girl dramatically grunts and pretends to cry out in defeat.  
  
"Uncle! Uncle!"  
  
"Gross, don't call out for him," Edelgard chides, lifting her sister off of the floor. "Goddess, if Father saw us acting out like this… he'd have a day."  
  
"Who cares," Elincia laughs, waving a hand in the air. "Besides. Getting in trouble with you is what I do best." As tough as Edelgard may act… that sentiment feels far too accurate to debate. Edelgard finally holds out a hand and puts one foot behind the other. She has to laugh at the doughy-eyed look Elincia gives her now.  
  
"May I have this… stupid… stupid dance, now?" Elincia theatrically bends at the waist and raises her skirt up like a ball gown before bowing her head.  
  
"Yes you may!"  
  
They spent an hour dancing, laughing, hugging, and talking, until their feet grew shaky and their voices became raspy. It was one of the best days Edelgard had ever had, and it was all topped off by a slice of vanilla cake with chocolate frosting and white chocolate shavings._  
  
Present:  
  
"I found that necklace out here, buried by a rock that said 'El’ on it." Edelgard's face becomes one of absolute neutrality as she touches the necklace with the tip of one gloved finger. She aches to take off the glove, to in this round-about way, feel her sister yet again. But she knows it will hurt. Possibly sting. It will cut too deep to be stitched or healed. So she just deals with this barrier of touch. One of distanced affection. "...Edelgard? Are you mad at me?" Byleth bites at her lip as she closely watches her wife’s rapid breathing wrack her chest. Edelgard squeezes her eyes shut before she silently shuts the box, pressing it against her chest as she takes one big gulp of air in.  
  
 _You left with Uncle before me. Three weeks exactly. It was a Monday. At nine A.M. you woke me up to say you were visiting the forest. I remember I swore at you for waking me up. You just hit my leg and left with a laugh. I remember you were holding this necklace in your hands. I just dismissed it… just as I did so many other things back then. So you must have buried it that morning. I really wonder why. Perhaps you finally fell out of touch with your idea of who Father was, like I had. You idolized him, yet you hated your mother. She was a cheater though. You hated cheaters. That's why I never cheated, I just lied. I got so good at lying, didn't I… El?  
  
I remember seeing you down there. Down in that wretched place. You were there with our brothers. You watched their bodies decay didn't you? You watched the rats eat their muscle just… just like… just like I watched yours. Uncle p-put us in the same room. You were dying already.  
I… remember how pale your deep blue eyes looked on that last night. They were nearly white. You said it was from staring up at the light the doctor's used to see our insides with.  
  
"Fuck," you said as you grabbed at your heart. That was the first time I heard you swear. I remember we laughed. We laughed until we cried, and it hurt. Then you slowly fell forward, and your forehead was pressed against the dirt floor that smelled like feces. You were breathing so hard. Panting. I remember I stopped laughing. "Hey, El?" You said. "When you're emperor, you better get reven--Argh! Reveng--nggh!" I tried to talk, but my voice just didn't come. "And… and don't l-let anyone call--NNN--CALL you EL, u-unless they're your forever. Just like you, are my forever, sis." I remember my eyes watered, but no tears fell.  
  
"You're El," I said as I grit my teeth.  
  
"Not a-anymoRE. I… wish we could daCEe right now," you laughed, coughing after. I remember chunks of something came out of your mouth. I remember I closed my eyes. I couldn't move. I just sat against the wall with my hands limp at my sides. They had just cut into my thighs that day. "Hey Edelgard?"  
  
"...Yeah?"  
  
"Be El for me, alright? Be… in dark… it's really… dark. I… I don't wanna... go." And then you laughed. It was bitter. Unlike any time before.  
  
I stopped laughing for years after that._  
  
She didn't realize she was crying until her whole body was convulsing and her throat was tightening up like a threatened fist. Byleth was quick to embrace her, but that was what, ten minutes ago now? And the tears just won't stop, even as she frantically wipes them away. Byleth keeps whispering in her ear, and it helps more than she can say. Edelgard doesn't want to think anymore. She just can't. Everything in her life up until she met Byleth just hurts and tears her down bit by bit if she so much as thinks about it. She’s recovered, but such deep rooted pain… she doesn't know if it will ever get completely better.  
  
"El," Byleth whispers. "I'm right here. I don't know where your head is at, but come back to me, alright?" Edelgard's breath starts to slow, and she counts to ten, then counts to twenty, before she can breathe out of her nose again. All the while, Byleth rubs her back, careful not to touch the one scar along her spine that always sends her into a panic attack in moments like these. Edelgard never said why that was, and Byleth never asked. She just knows. Byleth knows. She always knows. Somehow. Edelgard throws her arms around her wife’s neck and sighs. All of the tension that was forcing her head to come pressing in on itself finally stops.  
  
"Byleth?" Her voice is so small. So much like it was when she was young and innocent.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"Thank you," Edelgard says. Byleth lets out a weary breath.  
  
"I'm not sure this was a good gift on a day we’re supposed to be happy about. I'm sorry for such a thoughtless thing."  
  
"No." Edelgard pulls back with her puffy red eyes and wet face to stare into Byleth’s now. "No. Everything you've done today was nothing like 'thoughtless' behavior. You reminded me of my old self… and you reunited me with my sister." Byleth smiles sadly at that. "It means everything to me. Everything." Byleth nods her head, finally understanding as she rests her forehead against Edelgard’s.  
  
"I love you so much El." Edelgard laughs then. A hearty yet breathless one.  
  
"You have no idea, my light."  
  
Later in the Day:  
  
Once the two get back from the forest, and Byleth shoos anyone who tries talking to them away, they sneak their way up to the top of the palace. It’s just one floor above their master bedroom and Edelgard’s study, yet it has a massive sky light that lights up the flooring that depicts a very intricately designed white carnation that’s about ten feet wide both ways. Around the pattern are curved loveseats upholstered with black satin. The first time Edelgard took Byleth here, she told her of how often she used to come up here, all alone, just to read or draw as a child. It’s where she fell in love with carnations, too. Go figure. Now they've found comfort on one of the seats, resting against each other with their fingers interlaced as they look up at the sky that's already beginning to darken.  
  
"I hate how early the sun goes down in Fall," Edelgard comments, speaking quietly. Byleth hums. "It feels somewhat sad. It reminds me that winter is coming and the year will be over."  
  
"Then why did you pick Fall for our wedding date?" Edelgard tips her head to the side, resting it against Byleth’s broad shoulder.  
  
"Fall is beautiful. It's soft wind can become brutal, yet never harsh. Every leaf is special, and they grace the hard ground with their presence as they come drifting down from way up in the trees that dig into the Earth. The leaves and the ground are always connected, you see. They always have a place inside of one another, yet it takes time for every part of them to meet." Edelgard smiles faintly and peers up at her wife the best she can. "Does that not sound like us?"  
  
"That was beautiful," Byleth admits, holding Edelgard’s shoulder tighter. "You truly never stop surprising me, El."  
  
"Same goes for you." They sit there in a comfortable silence for the next few minutes, and after a while, Byleth pulls Edelgard’s gloves off so she can run her thumbs over all of Edelgard’s defined knuckles. Slowly Byleth leans in to kiss Edelgard’s cheek, then her forehead, then the top of her head, and then back down, kissing her eyelid and her nose. Soon Edelgard tips her head back and presses her lips against Byleth’s. They hum in satisfaction when their lips slightly part, and they dance their tongues over each other with faint pressure. The heat that sizzles under their skins urges them to kiss harder, longer, more, until Byleth is on her back, wrapped up in Edelgard’s body and clothes. All she can see is light skin and white hair, and _this is exactly what I want_ , Byleth thinks. _This is perfect_. She drags her hands down from Edelgard’s sides to the back of her thighs so she can pull the emperor over her waist. If she can just--perfect again.  
  
"Mmm," Edelgard moans in the back of her throat, grinding down into Byleth again with all of her weight in her waist. Edelgard starts rocking on her hips, back and forth, over and over until her pristine dress is wrinkled and pushed up her thighs by Byleth’s wandering hands. The heavy lidded look in those indigo eyes is probably Edelgard’s only addiction in life. "Byleth. More?"  
  
"Are you asking or telling me?" Byleth teases as she kneads Edelgard’s breast. Of course, not wanting to be outdone, Edelgard pins that hand on her breast down against the arm of the chair and plays with Byleth’s breast through her black shirt.  
  
"Take my mind off of everything," Edelgard demands, blindly kicking her heels off with frustrated huffs until they drop loudly down to the floor. "I want to only think of you." She whines when Byleth’s fingers begin to pull down the thick stockings underneath her skirt. "I love you," she sings for the thousandth time today alone. "Make love to me. _Please_." Byleth looks up at her, with her mouth just an inch away from the apex of Edelgard’s soaked thighs before she presses a soft kiss to her mound.  
  
"I love you too, El. More than anything." And so she takes her first tentative lick that easily has Edelgard’s back arching. For the sake of space, Edelgard stays hovering above Byleth’s face instead of lying flat on the couch. It’s new. It's… so so good. She can move her hips easily, and she finds herself riding Byleth’s tongue as she digs her fingers into the blue hair she adores. It's also nice to be able to watch Byleth’s eyes flutter open and closed depending on how quickly her tong--  
  
"Hh--hnnngh!" Edelgard’s jaw drops open and her head tips forward enough for her chin to touch her clavicle. " _Right there_ ," Edelgard pants, pressing Byleth’s head closer to her clitoris again. Byleth always gets it right. She sucks, nearly too hard before she licks and nips, and that weightless feeling sparks up from where Byleth’s mouth is all the way up to Edelgard’s head.  
  
Pant. Pant. Pant.  
  
 _Keep going_ , Edelgard says inside of her mind. _Don't stop do--nnngh. She's so good to me!_ Edelgard yips when Byleth swirls her tongue around her actual opening. She's holding her own breath. And then there's a jab underneath her left shoulder blade that causes her breath to hitch. She glances behind herself. Byleth’s hands are still on my thighs. Edelgard just dismisses it.  
  
"E-El," Byleth hums, sucking hard on Edelgard’s lips. "You taste amazing." Lick. Lick. Suck. "You're bucking up. Are you going to finish for me soon?" Edelgard whimpers and nods stiffly as she grabs onto the edge of the couch. The wood is already groaning beneath her fingers.  
  
"Angh! _Byleth_ ," she calls desperately. "It's so… mmnnnh!" Byleth starts licking faster. There's that pain in her back again. She forgets about it. Byleth. And now it's back, deeper now in her muscle. Byleth. It’s… twisting. Twisting and pushing in towards the middle of her torso. She's gritting her teeth, and all of her moans have an edge of something rough, something frustrated in them. Edelgard doesn't notice that Byleth is watching her. Just focus on Byleth. _Not this again. It's fine. You're fine Edelgard. Ungh her TONGUE!_ The second she opens her mouth to bark out a long moan, the stabbing pain that started in her back, pierces through her heart and cuts through the skin of her breast. Edelgard clutches her chest and falls forward, nearly stumbling off of the couch before Byleth awkwardly holds her up by her thighs.  
  
"Edelgard?!" _I'm bleeding. I must be_. Edelgard messily slips off of Byleth’s face, and her rumpled skirt drops back down. Her legs are shaking so badly that they feel about as useful as a foot balancing on ten inch nails. She looks at her hand that's twitching, and there’s not a speck of blood nor a matching wound. Then her heart knots up again, and she cries out louder than before. She's growing panicked. There's an uncomfortable heat burning her neck and face, and her heart keeps twisting and flipping around inside of her chest and she's losing her mind. "Sit sit sit," Byleth begs her, grabbing Edelgard’s elbow.  
  
"I'm-I'm fine."  
  
"Edelgard you're crying." The emperor has to reach up to her own face to believe it. And then BAM. Another wave of nausea and heartburn that has her gagging. Byleth forcefully sets Edelgard on the couch and rubs her sides as she reminds Edelgard to breathe slower.  
  
"I…"  
  
"What do you need?" Byleth asks in all seriousness. Edelgard hates seeing her wife this worried. Byleth’s kissing her cheeks, patting away the painful tears with her dry lips.  
  
"I just need you," Edelgard finally manages. She’s still rubbing at her chest. "I've never had that happen before. Honestly I'm unsure of what to--ergh--think."  
  
….  
  
Byleth shifts her weight, leaning into Edelgard’s side as they sit. There's this searing anxiety burning the back of Byleth’s neck as her mind starts to grasp at straws.  
  
….  
  
"...What if you're like Lysithea?" Byleth questions, nearly whispering as her eyes fall shut. Edelgard stiffens against her arm, and that anxiety spreads down her back and hops over every ridge in her spine so she can twitch awkwardly.  
  
….  
  
"What if I am?" Edelgard retorts, sounding tense as can be. Byleth rubs the side of her face that's warm to the touch and sighs jaggedly.  
  
"What if you are?" Byleth repeats loudly. "Edelgard what the _hell_ am I supposed to do if you die? What--!" Byleth jerks off of the couch and kicks over the short cherry side table out of spite. "Weak," Byleth hisses and lifts her leg just to crush her foot down on the table. It breaks… but it takes so much effort, because her back is slouching and her breath is hitching as the picture in her mind becomes clearer. If Edelgard really is like Lysithea… " _Dammit_ ," Byleth sniffs, choking on tears she's swallowing down as elegantly as rocks. She can’t see anything out of her foggy eyes so she just slaps her hand over them and sucks in hard. "N-need to see Claude. And Hubert. Hanneman and Lindhart even. I'm leaving tonight." Hearing Edelgard shift, Byleth steps away further. She’s not the kind of person who likes comfort when she cries. Not at all. “C-Can’t rest until I at least--”  
  
“--Leave tomorrow if you must--”  
  
“--Tonight,” Byleth repeats.  
  
“No,” Edelgard huffs, wincing as her chest spasms again. It’s thankfully more toned down this time. “No you’re ill equipped and you’ll be running on pure--”  
  
“--I’m going tonight,” Byleth says again. She sounds gritty, and her nails are digging into the skin next to her eyes which she’s still covering. It hurts. Edelgard clenches her fists, running out of patience.  
  
“Byleth you’re being rash no--”  
  
“--Edelgard I’m GOING!”  
  
….  
  
The both of them stare at each other with equal surprise on their faces as their hands hang limply at their sides. Byleth’s never yelled at Edelgard, never even raised her voice no matter how heated the argument may have gotten. But with the amount of pressure from the back of Byleth’s eyes, and the tightness of her throat on top of the countless images of a tombstone with Edelgard’s name engraved floating around in Byleth’s head, she had just about burst. And now that she’s let out aggression like this in… she can’t even remember how long, it just keeps building. She finds her jaw slackening and her face twisting from one of sorrow to one of anger as she stares at the claw foot of the seat in front of her.  
  
“This has happened before hasn’t it, El?” Edelgard doesn’t respond, and Byleth refuses to look up right now, because even she is scared to imagine what her own face looks like at this moment. Edelgard isn’t what’s making her angry. She could never make Byleth feel like this. “Tell me!”  
  
“...Please don’t shout at me,” Edelgard requests quietly. The cushion of the loveseat compresses audibly and Byleth glances out of the corner of her eye to watch the emperor sit down. Edelgard’s slouched over with her elbows on her knees that are shaking, and there have only been a handful of moments Byleth can remember her wife looking this uncomposed (and it always scares the empress deep down). “Will you sit?” Byleth doesn’t budge. “I was just scared the first time it happened. It was never quite so violent however, when it first happened last month. Truly I just ignored it… until it happened last week, and it caused me to drop a glass I was sipping from. A loss of muscular control, chest pain, trouble breathing, or overall pain on the left side… all things Lysithea has complained of before. Months ago. Therefore I’m not quite as advanced into it as her.” Byleth breathes out, rubbing her face lethargically before finally sitting down against the emperor’s side. It’s when she looks up at Edelgard who’s watching her with sad furrowed brows and nauseated narrowed eyes that Byleth lets go of any irritation and pulls her wife in for a desperate hug.  
  
“I shouldn’t have yelled. It’s not even you that I’m upset with,” Byleth explains, pressing her face into Edelgard’s somewhat damp neck. “El. Why didn’t you tell me? I’m your _wife_ ,” Byleth stresses. “I need to know everything that’s going on so I can be there for you just like you are for me.” Edelgard faintly chuckles, running her fingers through Byleth’s hair.  
  
“The amount of times I have helped you is a pitiful amount compared to all of the things you have done for my sake.”  
  
“It’s not a competition.”  
  
“I know,” Edelgard clarifies weakly.  
  
“I… I don’t want you to die,” Byleth whimpers, feeling silly at her own tone. Even though she’s slowly grown used to showing emotion over the past year, she still struggles with grief. Crying is just not something she likes doing. And when it comes to crying about Edelgard, it feels even worse, because Edelgard hates pity more than any injustice. Still, Byleth thinks to herself solemnly. It’s not like El will stop to feel sorry for herself. Maybe in the end, I am the one who will have to cry for her. The fingers in Byleth’s hair tighten in a comforting sort of way, as though they’re reminding her who’s arms she is in. “I-it’s not fair, Edelgard,” she sniffs, losing the battle when it comes to holding back her tears apparently. “Why can’t things just go your way? Why can--sniff--can’t anything be easy for you after everything you g-go through? _Hick!_ ” Edelgard’s hands start rubbing up and down Byleth’s back, easing any hiccups out of her. It’s funny she’s the one being soothed; Byleth hates it. Quickly does the empress wipe her wretched tears away and straightens up so she can pull Edelgard into her chest and assume the role of the stronger one for now.

“I’m not going to let you die.”  
  
“...Byleth,” Edelgard starts, looking up at Byleth with a cautious gaze that reminds the old professor of the Edelgard from back then more than the woman she is now. “For days now, I’ve been pondering what I’d say to you tonight. About us. More specifically, about why I love you so much.” Byleth nods encouragingly and digs her fingers into Edelgard’s waist. With a look of bewilderment, Edelgard presses her palm against her wife’s heart, cherishing the beat as she closes her eyes for a moment. “For so long I wallowed in my misery, pushing everyone and everything away until I was so filled with hate that it’s all I saw. Of course, without blaming anyone, people latched onto such energy and urged me deeper in until my entire body was submerged in water that I had no way to come up from. But then you came,” she says softly, smiling just barely. “Yes I still chose the path that the me of a much harsher mind created, but with you, it felt right. And… those nights,” Edelgard shakily recalls, “Those nights where the nightmares irked me and made me truly tested my will to not just… take my own lif--”  
  
“--El.”  
  
“No. It’s true,” Edelgard sternly tells her, bunching her fists in Byleth’s shirt. “I stopped caring about my life. I lived for the sake of my fallen siblings, not because of my own self. But you, Byleth. My teacher,” she corrects with a loose grin. “You make me want to live. You make me want to do all of these, somewhat silly homey things I’d have never wasted my time with before. I’ve… even considered children now. Me.” That makes Byleth chuckle at least. With a sudden surge of desperation, Edelgard sucks in a breath and reaches for the sides of Byleth’s face so she can press a hard, needy kiss against the empress’s lips. Pulled back by only an inch, Edelgard tells Byleth that, “I don’t want to die.” Byleth’s eyes widen, but she’s not sure why. “I don’t want to leave you. I haven’t given you nearly enough kisses or made love to you enough or, or just looked at you as much as I’d like to.” In sync, the two press their foreheads together.  
  
“You’re not gonna die,” Byleth swears, sounding undeniably sincere. “You’re not gonna die.”  
  
“I’m… not going to die,” Edelgard reiterates, trying to believe it. “I’m not going to die.”  



	2. Chapter 2

  
The Same Night; Nine Forty-Seven P.M.:  
  
Even though the Fall breeze was causing unassuming trees to shiver so violently that their leaves fell away and blew out into who-knows-where, the heat under the sheets of the emperor and empress’s bed could rival the hottest of summer nights. Their panting breaths are louder than the wind smacking against the glass windows on either side of the bed, and the rocking of Edelgard, who’s perched on Byleth’s waist proudly, continuously shakes the headboard which groans inconsistently. The stark contrast of the crimson sheets bunched around Edelgard’s shockingly pale waist is just a fraction of the reason Byleth gapes at the vision that is her wife. She finds herself stupefied as she watches Edelgard’s hands pressed against Byleth’s breasts to tease at her nipples while her hips grind back and forth rather than up and down on the thick toy on Byleth’s waist. Moving up into Edelgard with the toy is always Byleth’s job; one that she’s doing poorly at right now, because Edelgard is just… beautiful. Her pale face is flushed along one cheek, over the bridge of her nose, and then to the other cheek while being framed by her long white hair that rests just above the curve of her breasts. Sometimes her bunny-soft hair covers Byleth’s view of her maddeningly hard nipples that always seem to be wet with the empress’s saliva (because Byleth can literally never stop kissing them no matter what position they’re in) and Byleth always pushes her hair away in those instances for the sake of pinching them. And that’s just what happens now; Byleth brushes the hair back over Edelgard’s shoulders and twists. Edelgard’s head falls back as she moans at the feeling and Byleth feels all of her blood rush to her groin as she breathes out,  
  
“ _Perfect_.” She twists them again, and Edelgard moans louder, rocking a little harder.  
  
“Wh-hh--What was that?” Edelgard asks, looking down while her chin is tilted upward still. The way the emperor is looking at her just gets Byleth’s blood pumping even quicker, and Byleth finally starts moving her hips up and into he wife. “ _Oooh--nn!_ Byleth~.”  
  
“ _El_ ,” she breathes, feeling dizzy from all of the blood zipping through her veins. The high from sex with the one she loves is still addicting as all hell to both of them, and it shows on their faces as they stare into each other’s heavy lidded eyes. “Is your heart ok?” Edelgard nods confidently while not sacrificing the speed of her hips. In fact, Edelgard hunches over so as to rest her hands on the opposite sides of Byleth’s head for extra support as she quickens her pace. Of course, Byleth doesn’t lag behind, and Edelgard whines as her wife pushes in so deep that Byleth’s hard abs rub against Edelgard’s swollen clitoris that’s begging to be touched. It’s just enough friction to make her body twitch while not being nearly enough for her to finish right then and there, which is exactly what she wants. Edelgard’s determined to make this last. Then Byleth’s hands squeeze her wife’s backside and force her so far down the toy that it hurts just right, and Edelgard unabashedly begs for her wife to,  
  
“F-fuck me harder.” She breathily laughs at the way Byleth eyes narrow rather darkly. It only happens in times that Byleth is so turned on that she’s able to forget herself and do purely what’s asked of her. And Byleth almost does what Edelgard has asked too well, because she feels that scarily similar feeling of needing to pee with urgency while also feeling like her clitoris is spasming, and it happens all too fast. ”Wait!” But it’s a lost cause, Edelgard’s already gushing her arousal all over Byleth’s stomach and it’s dripping down onto the sheets. The embarrassment of it freezes Edelgard up, but nothing compares to the absolute horror that shocks her complexion as when Byleth swipes some of it off with her finger and licks it off. “ _Byleth!_ ”  
  
“What?” Edelgard’s lip just quivers in disbelief and Byleth chuckles, going for more before Edelgard roughly snathces her wrist.  
  
“Whatifthere’surineinthat?” Edelgard mumbles, face about as red as the sheets. With a smug grin, the empress slowly takes one of Edelgard’s hands and drags it through the watery ejaculate left on her stomach before teasingly licking each of Edelgard’s fingers and sucking the tips. “...That was…” Byleth smirks, rightly satisfied with herself.  
  
“Can I move inside you again?” Edelgard has to blink herself out of her own mind before she nods and leans forward so her hanging breasts are grazing Byleth’s as the two slowly begin to build up to the same rhythm as before. It’s almost comical how Byleth’s eyes are glued to Edelgard’s breasts as they gently swing back and forth with every thrust, but the emperor stays quiet. Well not quiet. She’s moaning obnoxiously loud by now with a cracking voice and all. “Goddess, I _love_ when you’re loud, El. You have such a sexy voice and--nn--such a gorgeous body that I can’t--” Byleth jerks up hard, and Edelgard whines. “Can’t ever get enough of it.” Even if she tried to talk back, the emperor knows she’d be able to get nothing out but a strangled groan. Her entrance is being stretched wide and her g-spot is growing sore from constantly yet perfectly getting slammed over and over which makes the toy itself pop slightly every time it moves. Everything’s made better by the hands groping her waist and thighs, and the mouth latched onto the skin of her breast that’s sucking deep dark marks that will remind her of this night for days on end, just how she likes it.  
  
“UNGH! There! _There, Byleth!_ ” Edelgard stops her movements and leans back so she’s vertical on Byleth’s waist while her wife slows down and very purposefully grinds the toy up into Edelgard as deep as she can. It feels so good that all of Edelgard’s body becomes covered in goosebumps, and her shoulders tense up to her ears as her head falls back so far that the cartilage in her throat presses flush against her skin and makes it harder for her to breathe. Yet that lack of oxygen gives her a head rush that makes every thrust of Byleth's hips, and every spike of pain from the nails in her backside feel that. Much. Better. “Angh… _anghhh!_ ” She blindly reaches for one of Byleth’s hands to press it against her heart. Even though it sounds like she’s struggling to talk, Byleth asks,  
  
“Are you alright?”  
  
“Don’t stop,” Edelgard pants, biting her lip as she moans again. The emperor squeezes her eyes shut and throws her head forward, feeling her insides rapidly being to convulse around the toy. “Please don’t stop, pleasepleaseplease don’t st--UNGH!” All this time, as Byleth watches, slack jawed and painfully turned on, her thoughts never stop repeating; _I love you. I love you so much Edelgard. I love you so so much, El._ When it’s clear Edelgard is so close to cumming that she’s nearly about to cry, Byleth flips Edelgard onto her back and fucks her slowly, passionately, and kisses her lips just the same. She smiles at the (cute) surprised noise that vibrates her lips before Edelgard fully sinks into the kiss and wraps her strong legs around the empress’s hips to pull her in closer. With both arms underneath Edelgard’s shoulder blades, Byleth can feel her wife’s sobs of bliss building up until finally, Edelgard breaks the kiss, blowing the last shreds of a brain Byleth has as the emperor moans LOUDLY into the empress's mouth. _Holy SHIT_ , Byleth thinks to herself, trembling in awe. The emperor’s nails scratch down her wife’s back, certainly drawing blood, as she finishes, probably harder than she’s ever finished in her entire life, with her ejaculate gushing out of her yet again. Byleth doesn’t stop thrusting until Edelgard goes completely limp after another whole minute.  
  
….  
  
….  
  
“Are we not going to talk about how hot that was?” Byleth asks, looking happier and more sheepish than Edelgard has maybe ever seen her. Edelgard has to wonder why her wife has to be so adorably aggravating before she gently pushes Byleth off and winces at the initial loss of the toy. “Are you ok?”  
  
“I’m more than ok,” Edelgard raspily answers, having lost a good amount of her voice from moaning which was… so hot yet again. Byleth rather unflatteringly drops onto her side next to the emperor who’s rubbing her forehead with the back of one shaky hand. The high of her orgasm is still coursing through her veins, and she’s sure she’s smiling like a fool just the same as Byleth. Although Edelgard wants to wince once she splits open her eyelids and looks down to find her thighs, stomach, and a good amount of other things covered in sweat and arousal, the way Byleth distracts her by tilting Edelgard’s chin up for a sweet kiss causes her to forget about it just as easily.  
  
"Do you need water? I'll go fetch a rag." Before Byleth can even sit up, Edelgard hooks an arm around her wife’s shoulder and pulls her back down so they're nose to nose.  
  
"You're not going anywhere right now," Edelgard demands, "That was something else entirely."  
  
"Felt good?"  
  
"You know it did," Edelgard jests, limply moving in to hug her wife who never ceases to make her feel safe (even when the sheets are drenched and bothersome). They become entangled in each other's limbs and loose hair as their breath intermingles and dances across each other’s peaceful faces. Edelgard’s fingers thread through Byleth’s hair at the ends as she loses herself in thought, biting the back of her lip.  
  
"You look distracted," Byleth points out, tracing Edelgard’s jaw with her thumb.  
  
"I've successfully delayed your leave for tonight," Edelgard starts, "But I'm worried you'll leave before I even have the chance to say goodbye."  
  
"I'd never just take off on you." Byleth's sure that would trigger the fragile state of Edelgard’s mental health if the empress just up and left like so many other people in Edelgard’s life anyhow. She’s not about to test it. "I'll leave once you're fully alert. You can't expect me to leave without thoroughly kissing you in the morning." The two smile at each other then. Yet Edelgard’s heart starts to thump sporadically before freezing up for a second too long.  
  
"A-ah," Edelgard groans, clutching at her chest. Byleth gets up on her elbow to better be able to soothe Edelgard by rubbing at her chest for her. "Thank you, my light. That already feels quite better."  
  
"You're gonna be ok," Byleth tells her with furrowed brows. "It'll pass. Let me just get you water."  
  
"Wait, Byleth? I know it's late, though I don't want this night to end quite so soon. Would you be willing to soak in the bath with me?"  
  
"Of course. Let me get the water in then. Sit tight." Though Edelgard’s gut reaction is to argue, throw herself out of the bed, and stride towards the tub herself, she obeys. ...Her chest is hurting too much to get up right now anyway, but she won't utter that aloud. Her lilac gaze grows transfixed on Byleth’s back before she's completely out of view, hidden away behind another door. Slowly Edelgard sits up, hissing and groaning as her heart tries to settle back into a steady, healthy, rhythm. It takes too long, and her face becomes one of sour anxiety that puckers her lips.  
  
"How are you supposed to help me, Byleth? I can't even help myself," she whispers, digging her fists into the sheets. "But we have to try, don't we, my love?" Byleth’s stoic yet well-meaning smile pops up in the back of her mind as she compares it to the drastic sad look she wore earlier tonight. _I never want to see that face again, Byleth. You deserve nothing but happiness now._  
  
Seven A.M.:  
  
Byleth’s the first to wake up like always. As promised, she doesn't dare inch off of the bed or do much else but reach over and pull Edelgard into her chest, peppering kisses all over the emperor’s head. The younger of the two begins to stir, and she curls her toes before stretching out her arms above her head. The somewhat loopy smile that spreads across Edelgard’s face makes Byleth chuckle and nuzzle her nose into Edelgard’s lavender smelling hair.  
  
"You're still here," Edelgard says, reaching back to rub Byleth’s neck.  
  
"I promised you I would be, El. Now let me kiss you."  
  
"I never said you couldn't," Edelgard chides, already leaning in. The first touch of their mouths sends a wave of elation throughout the entirety of their bodies that's comparable to soaking in a perfectly heated and medicated bath. Their throats vibrate as they hum, and Byleth is quick to run her hands up and down Edelgard’s sides as she sits them both upright against the headboard. _Will I ever tire of this?_ Edelgard wonders. _Preposterous. If I were to tire of her lips, I would be admitting my boredom to our love. Such a thing will never transpire for as long as I live_ \-- Yet there's a chance "as long as she lives" really isn't much longer. She shivers against her wife’s torso and subsequently hugs her closer.  
  
"Why don't you come with, El?"  
  
"I have much to do here."  
  
"But this is your life. _Our_ life." Edelgard finds it hard to come up with a response to that, although she doesn't have to because there’s a knocking against their bedroom window. And then they both blink. "...This is ten floors up," Byleth mumbles, feeling the anxiety of a sinking stomach that may well fall out of her body. Byleth jerks off the bed before whipping the curtains open.  
  
There he is. On his wyvern. Claude von Riegan. Byleth’s breath expels from her lungs with a cough. It's almost scary that he isn't smiling. He's just looking down at her with his chin held oddly high, as if he's lowly upon her; It makes Byleth feel ill. She stops putting it off and finally opens the window. She hardly notices Edelgard who’s already left the room with a start.  
  
"...Claude."  
  
"Hmm." His wyvern flaps its wings hard enough to blow Byleth’s hair around before he hitches his thumb over his back towards the small gap in his saddle. "I kinda expected you to be ready by the time I showed up. Lysithea told me she sent a letter to your crazy wife so I figured it was a matter of time before you came running. I uh… yeah I appreciate it." He clears his throat awkwardly and Byleth sort of just stands there before nodding uselessly.  
  
"I will meet you by the front gates. I just have to ready my bag and say goodbye to Edelgard."  
  
"Actually… lemme talk to the emperor too. There's something I've gotta ask." Before Byleth can say another word, he flies off, heading straight for the gates.  
  
"Goddess let this be peaceful for once…."  
  
Minutes Later:  
  
"OF COURSE!" Claude shouts, half-laughing, seething even, and shaking his fist at both Edelgard and Byleth who are standing rather than sitting near their respective thrones. Suddenly Claude points directly at Byleth and just about growls. "So you're only helping because SHE'S sick, huh? Not because of Lysithea. Not because I asked for your help, and you--"  
  
"--I tried to tell you I'd help, Claude. I--"  
  
"--No you didn't! You just told me you were busy with Edelgard doing whatever crazy murdering bull-crap you--"  
  
"--We haven't murdered anyone," Byleth argues tiredly, rubbing her head that's pulsating every other second.  
  
"Hah! You literally helped Edelgard annihilate half of the--"  
  
"--For a reason," Byleth murmurs, looking down at her feet. She feels exhausted all of a sudden. The weight of her past actions are just… suffocating even now.  
  
"Tell that to Hilda, or Ashe, or--"  
  
"--You really have to bring them u--"  
  
"Byleth!" Claude shouts, flailing his hands around. "What you did was just… I _try_ to forget it. I try to forgive you. But I just can't seem to move on." The two friends slump over in unison. After ten dead silent seconds pass by, Edelgard tightly wraps her hand around Byleth’s upper arm.  
  
"My light," she whispers with hot breath that makes the hair on the back of the empress’s neck stand tall. “This bickering is getting you nowhere. May I step in?”  
  
“No,” Byleth sighs. “No,” she repeats louder, looking up into Claude’s glossy emerald eyes. “We have to get past this. We’re friends aren’t we? Friends argue. And then they make up, yes?” Claude wrinkles the side of his lip before tapping his toes against the ground. _She’s not wrong_ , Claude thinks to himself. _I’m being ridiculous--WE’RE being ridiculous, arguing like two Lorenzs’ or something. ...Yeesh. Scary thought._  
  
“Ya know,” Claude starts with a faint grin. “You’re wrong about one thing.” He almost chuckles at the pout Byleth sends his way before slapping it right off his face when Edelgard glares at him. _Yikes. Alright alright, Emperor Up-Tight_. “We aren’t just friends. We’re best friends.”  
  
….  
  
“Yeah,” Byleth agrees with a growing grin. “We are.” The two smirk and Edelgard looks between them with narrowed eyes.  
  
“This is all it takes to mend a friendship?” Edelgard comments dryly with a hand on her hip. “You’d think the two of you argued over who spilled the milk instead of someone’s life.” The sourness comes back up both Byleth and Claude’s throats for a minute.  
  
"Not helping," Byleth sighs.  
  
"Heh. You tell her, Teach."  
  
"I don't need _you_ to antagonize me," Edelgard barks. Claude smirks at her cockily before opening his mouth again.  
  
"--Claude," Byleth jumps in. "And Edelgard. Please just… behave." Like two reprimanded dogs, they both drop their heads in obedience. "Now what have you learned about El-- _Edelgard_ and Lysithea's condition? Knowing you I bet you seeked out answers in Almyra already."  
  
"That I did. Thanks for giving me so credit," he chuckles, pacing lightly back and forth. "Well the best way to go is surgery. Pull those extra crests out of them."  
  
"You say that as though it’s easy to come by a surgeon who won't mess up. This is open heart surgery," Edelgard says, rubbing at her chest. Just the thought reminds her too much of back then, down in that wretched lab. How she survived, she still can't say.  
  
"Yeah and let's be honest for a second, dear ol' emperor." Claude rather aggressively stops just short of Edelgard with his hand on his hip. "I'm sure you've realized losing your second crest will mean you won't be freakishly strong, and then you'll be worried about appearing weak to the fragile people of Fodlan you've forced to be obedient to you." Edelgard growls under her breath and Claude skittishly backs away. "I'm just being honest. You don't want to be any less strong incase all of Fodlan decides to someday overthrow you, for whatever reason, yeah?" Edelgard has to shut her eyes and count to ten because she is SO close to just throwing her fist at his hea--  
  
FWSSH!  
  
"Ah! Teach?!" He stumbles backward holding his left shoulder with both hands.  
  
"You really deserved that," Byleth mumbles, shaking out her fist. Edelgard smirks behind her own hand. "Though I can do that again."  
  
"No thanks!" Claude hurriedly says. "I'll uh-- I'll stop bothering Edelgard now. I'll be good. Promise." Byleth then turns to her wife and rests a hand low on the emperor’s back before whispering in her ear.  
  
"Are you going to be ok with me gone?" Edelgard knows what she means. Because despite his brashness, Claude’s right. The state of a united Fodlan is still filled with unrest. Different regions and their past prejudices towards one another still need reprimanding, and the general approval of Edelgard herself is mixed. However, Byleth… Byleth is praised and liked despite her hand in the bloody unification. There is something to say about having part of a Goddess on your side after all. So when Byleth asks if she'll be ok, Edelgard knows she's worried for both the emperor’s safety should word get out that the empress is gone, and she’s worried about Edelgard herself being alone. Enbarr is barren of old friends after all. And then there's the other thing… Edelgard losing her strength. Crests mean nothing to the emperor when it comes to the commoners and the nobility, though Edelgard really relies on her own. Hypocritical, she knows that. Yet if Byleth can hold the respect of the people without having a crest any longer, Edelgard should be able to as well. Maybe. She can feel her temples tightening just at the thought.  
  
"Byleth? May we speak alone?" The empress nods immediately and Claude’s already taking his leave.  
  
"I'll be waiting for you outside, Teach. Let's head out soon though. We'll hit Garreg Mach first." Shkk. The big doors close and they're alone. Edelgard relaxes her back and drops down on her throne with a long sigh. Of course Byleth chooses to kneel in front of Edelgard and rest her chin on the emperor’s knee instead of just sitting in her own throne. The emperor finds that she likes that anyhow, because she slips one of her gloves off and runs her hand through Byleth’s hair and smiles when those blue eyes slip shut.  
  
"Thank you for doing this," Edelgard quietly says, kneading Byleth’s skull. "If I'm being honest, I would be somewhat lacking in my search for help."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"For the same reason Lysithea is. We're fearful of going through another life-threatening surgery." Byleth's eyes pop open. I never thought about that aspect. It would be traumatic to be putting yourself in that position again. Byleth abruptly stands up and leans in.  
  
"I won't leave you or Lysithea's side for even a second while it happens. And I'll make sure to watch everything the doctor does." Taking Edelgard’s face in her hands, she moves to kiss Edelgard’s nose. "Please El. Trust me to take care of this. All you need to do is wake up once it's done, and I'll do anything to ease the pain after."  
  
"...Alright." They both supportively smile before Edelgard hooks her arms around Byleth’s neck and tugs her into the throne as well. "Please don't take long," she says against the empress’s lips. "I'm going to miss you like nothing else."  
  
"I know. But I rather a few days without you than my whole life." Edelgard shakily nods her head, only distracted when Byleth kisses her again. "I love you."  
  
"I love you, my light." They kiss for far too long, yet not long enough.  
  
Evening:  
  
"Hubert!" Byleth calls out, just about yelling over the loud flapping of the wyvern's wings flailing in the wind. Both she and Claude wave to him from up in the sky as they near the Officer’s building. The three students he’s speaking with look up in aggravated confusion before their eyes blow wide open at the realization that this is none other than the HERO of Fodlan coming down from the heavens. They just about drool as Byleth’s boots touch the ground before a whole mob of teenagers come rushing their way.  
  
“Woah woah woah,” Claude chuckles, scratching his neck as everyone rapidly approaches. Byleth smiles warmly at a couple of them before Hubert huffs and slaps his hands together, creating a whirlwind of something strong enough to knock everyone (including the wyvern) back a few feet.  
  
“Apologies,” Hubert gruffly says to the crowd who are pouting and groaning. “I must speak to Her Majesty on my own. Please continue on to your next class period.” The students look back and forth at one another before everyone leaves with dejected, hanging arms at their sides. With Claude next to her, Byleth curtly bows her head towards Hubert who’s somehow looking younger these days with less bags under his eyes and more of a shine to his hair.  
  
“Wow,” Claude says, putting a hand on his hip as he checks Hubert out. “You’re lookin’ better. Finally.” Hubert hisses at his feet before turning his head to the side to only face the empress.  
  
“Why is he here, exactly? I’m assuming this has to do with Her Majesty, yes?” Right away Byleth notices Hubert begin to tense his brow and stiffen up around the shoulders.  
  
“She’s not in any danger. ...Necessarily.” Hubert sucks in a hard breath and Byleth winces. “Sorry I’m… having a hard time coming to terms with it,” she admits wearily. “It’s her second crest,” Byleth whispers.  
  
“...So Arundel did lie,” Hubert sighs, covering his eyes with a large gloved hand. “He swore her body could handle it. _Tch_. It must have been a way for him to eliminate her in the end. One of many.”  
  
“Lysithea’s even worse off,” Claude tells him quietly with green eyes fixed on some random spot behind Hubert’s head. “And I’m not ready to lose her. We need your help finding a surgeon who can get those ticking time bombs out of our women.”  
“I hate to hear Her Majesty being referred to as just Byleth’s ‘woman,’” Hubert croaks, shaking his head. “But yes. Yes I will help. As will Lindhart. Let us fetch him and Hanneman both.” Hubert turns on his heel, digging into the grass without another word as he takes off. Claude audibly lets out a relieved breath and Byleth chuckles.  
  
“I told you all your fretting was for nothing.”  
  
“Gah,” Claude groans. “You say that, but you also say ol’ Edelgard is a ‘cutie’ and I FAIL to see any evidence in such a bold statement.”  
  
“She _is_ cute!” Byleth argues, finally hurrying along towards Hubert who’s long skinny legs take him way farther than anyone else’s. “Very. Very. Cute.”  
  
“Nnnn. We gotta agree to disagree, Teach.” The two grin to themselves as they keep moving.  
  
Minutes Later:  
  
“Oh. It’s you, Professor.” Byleth blinks at Lindhart as he greets her with a bored shrug before Hanneman comes dashing out of his office and into Lindhart’s (which used to be Jeralt’s).  
  
“Professor!” Hanneman excitedly waves and bobs his head. “And even Claude. My, it’s lovely to see you both again.”  
  
“Yep, same to you,” Claude politely responds with eyes that look entirely uninterested. “Sorry I’ve gotta cut the pitter-patter short but we’ve got big problems.“ Claude quickly gives a run down of everything going on with Lysithea and Edelgard with Byleth’s help, and Hubert adds in that,  
  
“Their shared trauma will become an issue. They’ve barely escaped such tumultuous surgery once. I cannot imagine the painstaking mental handicap agreeing to this surgery will cause the two.”  
  
“They don’t have time to be getting picky,” Lindhart bluntly says with a nonchalant wave of his hand as he leans back in his bulky desk chair that has three blankets hanging off of the back. _I have a feeling he does a lot more sleeping in that chair than anything_ , Byleth thinks. Hubert looks peeved, yet Lindhart goes on. “If it’s gotten this bad that Edelgard needs to ask anyone for help… I’d say they’re both ready to take this seriously.” The five of them in the room all lean up against some piece of furniture as they hum to themselves. ...Certainly one of the most cliche things Byleth’s ever experienced, and she has to smirk to herself.  
  
“I can do the surgery myself,” Hanneman claims, puffing out his chest. Hubert frowns deeply at this. “As long as Manuela is by my side with her team of healers so as to keep the subjects asle--”  
  
“--Subjects?” Byleth cuts in with an edge to her voice. Hanneman coughs and tries to fake a smile.  
  
“To keep Lysithea and Her Majesty asleep,” he corrects. Byleth glances at Lindhart who looks unaffected by Hanneman’s slip up, and she finds her face getting hotter with aggravation. “Of course Lindhart will help as well. We just need to be sure we have the herbs and the medical supplies beforehand.”  
  
“And where do we get these things?” Claude asks.  
  
“The scalpels we have are… mediocre,” Lindhart confesses. “And the herbs leave much to be desired--yawwwwn--Perhaps it’s best if we just cut them open with what we have, and--”  
  
“--I think not,” Byleth cuts in with a wrinkled brow. “Have some compassion, Lindhart.” The man chuckles and shrugs tiredly.  
  
“That’s sort of hilarious coming out of your mouth, Professor.”  
  
“She’s my wife!” Byleth barks, surprising Hanneman who hasn’t ever seen this much emotion in the empress. “And your friend! Let us not forget who set up shop for both you and Hanneman to have all sorts of crest and whatever other information you two have at your fingertips. Show some respect,” Byleth finishes curtly. Lindhart and Hanneman both purse their lips.  
  
“Apologies for my tongue then,” Lindhart says quietly.  
  
“Same here,” Hanneman tells her, wringing his hands together. “I speak loosely but I hold a great amount of respect for both the emperor and my friend, Lysithea.” Claude’s face grows serious at his unrequited love’s name. “I can promise I will do everything in my power to help them both. Though, we do need help receiving the necessary supplies.”  
  
“Where can I get them?” Claude asks.  
  
“Bridgid,” Lindhart announces.  
  
“Let’s go, Byleth.”  
  
“Give me ten minutes,” Byleth asks of Claude. He reluctantly agrees with a slow nod. “Feed your wyvern while I’m gone. Hubert?”  
  
“I already expected as much,” Hubert replies with a crooked jaw. “Let us go.” The two creep away up to the third floor where the Archbishop, the emperor’s, and now Hubert’s room is. Byleth glances around the dimly lit room that looks just about the same as it has when her and Edelgard moved out to Enbarr. “Not much to see. The only difference is that I had the mattress changed.” He drops himself down on the edge of the bed, crossing his arms as he shoots a rare smile at her. “After the wedding night this bed no doubt saw, I shivered at the thought of laying in it.” At that, Byleth laughed, loud and free. She was even happier when Hubert chuckled along with her.  
  
“Perhaps you just wish you were there.”  
  
“Oh certainly not,” Hubert answered with a wicked shiver that has his hair standing on end. “After what I heard the last time I visited the Imperial Palace, I quake at the thought of Her Majesty… barking orders in such a… urgh.” Byleth sniffs in humor before sitting down in a satin chair by the foot of the bed.  
  
“That was a good night. A great one even.”  
  
“Please,” Hubert croaks, covering his face as the memory of all those… moans and… whatever else he heard start to haunt his mind yet again.  
  
“Plus you’re probably the most obedient man I’ve ever met. You know you would love it if Edelgard told you exactly how she wants to be--”  
  
“--SILENCE! No more of this ruthless teasing!”  
  
“Fine,” Byleth huffs, completely satisfied now as she smiles devilishly. This push-and-pull relationship she’s grown to have with Hubert is one of her favorites now (just don’t tell Claude. He’s quite jealous). “Though the reason I need to talk to you in private may well be a little more embarrassing.” She leans forward in her seat with her hands locked together as she looks up at her once bitter-rival of sorts. “I know I can trust you with this. It’s… sort of embarrassing. For El more than me.” With a deeply interested grin, Hubert leans slightly closer with his acid green eyes that just about stare into Byleth’s soul. “I’ve been looking into ways Edelgard and I can have a child.” Hubert’s head bobs in surprise. “Of course we can adopt, but with all of the magic out there, I’m assuming there’s some sort of way she and I can have one more naturally?” Byleth rubs the back of her head insecurely before Hubert opens his mouth.  
  
“Interesting….”  
  
….  
  
“That’s it?”  
  
“Well, this is quite a roundabout way to ask me if I’ll impregnate her in your stead.”  
  
….  
  
….  
  
“...I was joking,” he sighs.  
  
….  
  
Byleth bursts out laughing, and it goes on for a full minute with her accidentally spitting into her hand and hiccuping as he boredly looks on. _It really wasn’t that funny_ , he thinks to himself.  
  
“HICK--it’s just--Heh. Heh.” She raises up one finger, daring to order him to wait a second longer. “I’m just imagining how frustrated she’d get when you’d keep asking her if she’s ok while you’re--”  
  
“--Your Majesty.”  
  
“Or how you’d probably be reminding her of all the work she has to get done while she’s--”  
  
“--Urghhhh. _Byleth!_ For the sake of my curious mind; STOP.” Finally Byleth sobers up and gets serious again before Hubert combusts right in front of her.  
  
“Honestly though,” she begins again. “I don’t want Edelgard to go through the anxiety of adopting a child from some snobbish family just to keep up appearances. She wants to abdicate in a few years anyway. We talked about having a child last night. All hypothetically of course. But if you could find some way magic can help me get her pregnant, I’d be even more grateful for you than I already am.” Hubert presses his tongue up to the back of his teeth as he thinks through the mountain of the dark magic books he’s read.  
  
“She will need much time to recover after her heart surgery. Therefore I should have time to ponder such wild thoughts for your sake and Her Majesty’s.” Byleth bows her head at him in honest appreciation.  
  
“I’m thankful,” Byleth swears.  
  
“As am I for you. Even if it pains me to admit such a thing.”  
  
Late Evening:  
  
“And here we are,” Claude comments as he and Byleth casually walk down the eerily empty streets of Brigid. His wyvern is following them from high up in the sky, which Claude only asked it to do so Petra, most likely stationed with Dorothea in the castle they’re beelining it to, has a heads up they’re coming on such short notice. The clouds up above have completely dissipated, leaving only the twinkling stars and faintly glowing street lanterns guide their way down the dusty cobblestone streets that only seem to start when the castle is in view. Brigid is much more of a tropical looking place. Where there are oak trees in Enbarr, there are papaya trees; where there are shrubs back home, there are ferns and banana plants here. Byleth finds herself enamored with the humming of birds from off in the distance that sound nothing like the ones at Garreg Mach or Enbarr, and when she spots a very darkly lit dock where stakes to catch fish are, she wonders what the fish are like here. ...Perhaps I’ll ask Petra to allow me to catch something for lunch tomorrow.  
  
As they pass over the mote that leads to the leniently guarded front gate, Claude and Byleth both get to moving a bit faster. The second they step into the courtyard that looks more like a massive training ground than anything, tons of eyes bore holes into the two foreigners from the windows of the castle.  
  
“Cuz that’s not creepy at all,” Claude mumbles, and Byleth grunts in agreement. The uneasiness continues to pile on as they step into the foyer, where ten servants stop and stare at them without saying a word, before finally bowing in greeting. “Uh. Hi. We’re--”  
  
“We know who you are, silly.” The two turn their heads to the right and are greeted by the sight of a very Brigidian-dressed woman Byleth knows all too well.  
  
“Dorothea,” Byleth happily greets.  
  
“Gosh you’re looking great!” Dorothea says, rushing towards the empress before throwing herself into the woman’s strong arms as she hums excitedly. “It’s been so long, Professor! I’ve missed you. And Edie! Oh no!” Dorothea suddenly jerks back, digging her nails into Byleth’s arm rather painfully as she asks Byleth in horror if, “Edie is alright?! Nothing bad has happened has it?” Byleth sighs and slinks her way out of Dorothea’s hold.  
  
“We have to talk about it in private. With Petra as well.” Byleth’s eyes shift towards the servants going about their tasks, all while watching the two outsiders rather obviously.  
  
“Don’t mind them, Professor. And Claude? I am having great happiness seeing you both.” Everyone looks toward the long winding staircase with its black fur carpeting snaking down every step that Petra is quickly walking down. Her new (and fairly revealing yet somehow still modest) dress has a short trane that attracts Byleth’s eyes like a moth to flame. Seeing Petra surrounded by her people in a place that’s so distinctly decorated in order to celebrate the pride of Brigid is something that has Byleth smiling. She always hated hearing how out of place Petra felt sometimes, so to see her here, and to see the way Dorothea is looking, trying her absolute best to fit in for the sake of her lover, Byleth feels certain she’s in the right place. These two will understand right away how much I need those supplies to help El. “My people just have harder time welcoming newcomers.”  
  
“Definitely,” Dorothea adds, quickly holding out her hand for Petra to take before kissing her Queen on the cheek with not an ounce of shame. “I’ve been here for a year and they’re finally listening to me when I try to speak to them in their language.” Petra embarrassedly rubs her nose.  
  
“I feel much sympathy for you both now. They don’t speak English much, so they might not realize exactly where you both origin--originate.”  
  
“Hey I’m used to being an outsider,” Claude mentions nonchalantly. “Besides. We aren’t here for them. We’re here for you, Queen Petra. We need your help.” Petra’s brows furrow in understanding as she leads them someplace else. Quickly do Claude and Byleth tell the two everything over a steaming hot fish dinner in a place where they thankfully can just relax without screaming at one another from opposite sides of a thirty-seat table like in Enbarr. The quiet bustling of the fireplace behind the head of the table where Petra insisted Byleth sit, eases their nerves as they talk of their worries.  
  
“She’s… really not doing well,” Byleth admits, talking about Lysithea this time just so Claude won’t have to. Dorothea sympathetically rubs Claude’s back for a second before he nods in thanks. They’re little more than strangers to Claude, but Lysithea is a friend of the entirety of the Black Eagles, and that gets him the team’s respect alone.  
  
“All you need are herbs?” Petra asks, taking a sip of her wine. Byleth nods. “Then I will pick them myself.”  
  
“I’ll help,” Claude speaks up.  
  
“Allow me and my people to do this while having much pleasure. We are people who devote ourselves to friendships. Her Majesty and Lysithea are much more than just friends.”  
  
“That’s right,” Dorothea interjects, smiling at her wife with everything she has. Byleth finds it rather adorable that Petra still blushes at such a thing, and her mind drifts back to Edelgard back home. _I wonder if you’re going to sleep at all tonight if I don’t drag you out of your study myself. ...Oh but Ferdinand’s there. I did remind him to check up on her every now and then. I’m sure she’ll have ran out of that room after he talked her ear off for too long. Heh. _Byleth closes her eyes for a second, just picturing the whole scene playing out. What I wouldn’t do to see the pout on your face right about now, El. “Professor?”  
  
“What’s wrong?”  
  
“No no,” Dorothea shakes her head, “I just wanted to know if you’re alright.” Both Claude and Petra somehow already got up and went somewhere else while Byleth was zoning out. “If I found out my Petra had something threatening her life… Well I’d just about lose myself in worry.” Byleth skittishly adjusts in her seat, avoiding eye contact.  
  
“...I just want her to be ok. The hardest part is what comes after the surgery. She’s going to be in pain, constantly, and I’m--It’s fine,” Byleth finishes awkwardly. Dorothea’s looking at her with her bright green eyes and it’s too much for Byleth right now. “I just want her to live. I just want her to have the life she’s literally bled for.”  
  
“She deserves it. And you too, missy.” Dorothea throws herself in the seat closest to Byleth and boops her on the nose. She chuckles when Byleth’s eyes shut in surprise. “You deserve to have your happy ending as well, Hero of Fodlan.”  
  
“I don’t know about all that,” Byleth dismissively says, standing up with her plate just for Dorothea to take it for her.  
  
“You do! Now. Tell me all the Edie secrets I need to know as her self-proclaimed best friend.”  
  
 _I really missed this_.  
__


	3. Chapter 3

  
There it was. The sounds of a wyvern landing. Edelgard just about sprinted out of her study, knocking over a pile of books before sprinting past three servants who nearly had a heart attack as she came towards them so abruptly. She passed none other than Ferdinand who was just about to lean in for a kiss with his newly engaged wife to be, Bernadetta, before Bernie squeaked out her surprise at the flash of red that blew her bangs around. Of course, seeing Edelgard running like mad for no apparent reason, Ferdinand had to say something.  
  
“You are running quite swiftly! I can run faster, you know?!” He got nothing in reply but a sad pat on the back from Bernadetta who always sympathetically says,  
  
“One day you’ll best her, honey.” And Ferdinand always dejectedly nods his head.  
  
_BOOSH!_ Edelgard swings the doors to the palace’s foyer open with so much accidental force that the they nearly flew off of their hinges and scared about two years of life off of the servant dangerously balancing on a ladder up thirty feet as he dusts off one of the four chandeliers. Poor man almost tipped over and broke an arm, to which Edelgard very sporadically waved to him in apology.  
  
“I will pay you double for your efforts today!” she shouted up at him. He just whined in response and got back to work with a quivering lip. It slipped out of her mind scarily quickly as she pulled herself together, fixing her crown (acting like she totally didn’t just run a marathon through the palace) before stepping through the front gates and into the blinding sunlight. She was just in time to see Byleth waving Claude off as he yelled his goodbyes to her. And Edelgard is somewhat obligated to be pleased that the two were smiling at each other and no doubt making ridiculous jokes (that poor Edelgard never thought were funny) until Claude was too far up to be heard. With a nervous jitter rattling her bones, the emperor hugs herself, trying to appear as cool headed as possible in front of some of the staff at her side. Though, the second Byleth turns around and they lock eyes, the two break out into ridiculously cheesy smiles before run-walking towards each other until their bodies clash.  
  
“Byleth!” Edelgard cries first, wrapping her arms around Byleth shoulders and squeezing almost too hard. Byleth isn’t complaining though. No she’s lifting Edelgard slightly off of her feet and spinning her once before setting her back down. Four little kisses grace the side of the emperor’s face that she’s surprised don't embarrass her, seeing as there are about ten people surrounding them right now. “I missed you, my light. Quite painfully.”  
  
“I missed you too, sweetie.” Edelgard frowns at the pet name.  
  
“Who?”  
  
“You. I meant to say 'beautiful.'” Edelgard sticks out her tongue, and Byleth boldly nips at it.  
  
“Byleth!”  
  
“Gorgeous?” Edelgard narrows her eyes. “ _Honey_.”  
  
“None of the above, Professor.” Byleth chuckles. “ _My teacher_ , pardon.”  
  
“I see you’re already in the mood to play _that_ game huh?” Edelgard does indeed go red at that, though she doesn’t argue, and Byleth’s smirk just gets more smug. “Hmm.”  
  
“Not here,” Edelgard groans, all the while pulling Byleth in for another hug that never really ended. Byleth gladly leans back in, pressing her hand against the back of Edelgard’s head so as to feel that button nose against her neck again at last. “Only three days and I’ve felt like you’ve been gone for ages. I order you to never leave my side again.”  
  
“Yes, Your Majesty,” Byleth confidently answers back, hardly even kidding. “I felt like I was going to die if I had to spend another night without you next to me.” Byleth watches as the people around them disperse, and soon it’s just the gatekeeper and the two of them, so the empress feels good enough to lean in close to Edelgard’s ear to speak. “You know what kept me company at night though.” Edelgard peaks up at her with a warning in her eye. “It’s nothing like that El,” she chuckles. “I was just gonna ask if you remembered something.”  
  
“Which is?” Byleth grins at the way Edelgard goes right back to tucking her face into Byleth’s neck again. She closes her eyes when Edelgard’s warm breath comes and goes across her skin.  
“Remember when you used to not sleep so well at night earlier this year? And I found you leaving the room a lot?” Edelgard nods. “Well remember how we came to the agreement that as long as I held your hand as I slept, you weren’t allowed to leave the room?” For some awful reason Edelgard’s eyes water at that so she keeps them shut tight.  
  
“You somehow slept like a rock and still kept hold of my hand,” Edelgard recollects wistfully. “I spent many nights tossing and turning at the beginning.”  
  
“Yeah you didn’t want to break the promise to me.”  
  
“Until I finally took that time just to watch as you slept. You always look so at peace when you sleep. It’s like a completely different side of you, my light. One I love just as much as every other part of you.” Byleth sniffs and smiles longingly down at Edelgard. Her entire body wants to just sink into Edelgard so she can hopefully then express to her wife just how much she means to Byleth. Sometimes Byleth wonders if there’s some sort of spell out there that can make her into someone who’s far more fluent in English than she is, just so she can properly express all of the things she wants to say but never can. _Maybe for Valentine’s Day. Nah. That’s too far away. Maybe tomorrow_ , she thinks with a laugh. “Your laugh brings a smile to my face, Byleth.”  
  
“So does yours, El. Now let’s get inside. I want to kiss you.”  
  
“Kiss me here,” Edelgard dares. Byleth raises a brow as her wife leans back and licks her bottom lip just to distract the empress. Byleth groans and Edelgard smirks at her. Too bad the second Byleth leans in for a kiss, Edelgard turns her head away. “That was a great kiss,” Edelgard jokes, loosening her hold on Byleth now. The frown that mares the empress’s face has Edelgard holding back laughter. “You look like Marianne on a bad day.”  
  
“And you look like Raphael after he makes a stupid joke.” Edelgard hums in response before putting a hand under her chin.  
  
“Are you also implying that I’m overweight?”  
  
“No but you probably will be once I get you pregnant.” Edelgard blinks hard and then stares at Byleth’s incredibly serious face.  
  
“I know you grew up quite sheltered but you should know that women can’t--” Byleth finally breaks her mask of indifference and chuckles into her fist. Of course it makes Edelgard crack her own smile until Byleth puts an arm around her and guides the emperor up to the palace again.  
  
“I wasn’t entirely joking,” Byleth confesses, waving to the servants who are smiling in response to her presence gracing them again. “Your Majesty!” “Empress Byleth!” “I’ve missed you in the gardens!” “Catch me another big fish, My Lady!” Roughly does Edelgard nudge her distracted wife. “Ouch, El.”  
  
“Explain yourself,” Edelgard orders. The two hurry up the steps and settle on going into Edelgard’s rather messy study. The second Byleth sees all of the papers on the ground, she hurries to gather them up. “Byleth you don’t have to clean my mess. Just please tell me what you mean. And what happened while you were gone.” Right, they had more important things to talk about besides just flirting (even though Byleth really likes that later part. So does Edelgard). Byleth continues to pick up the papers, so Edelgard bends down to help as Byleth starts talking.  
  
“We went to see Petra to get the herbs necessary for recovery and all that. She’s well by the way. Dorothea misses you. I think they’ll want to see you when you’re better. And then Hanneman and Lindhart and hopefully Manuela and her other healers will be the ones doing your procedure.”  
  
“...Wait. _All_ of those people are going to be seeing my body?” Edelgard, shaky and suddenly self conscious, accidentally drops her small stack of papers she’s collected all over again. She sighs aggravatedly before her hand is stopped by Byleth’s.  
“Not all of them. Just Lindhart, Hanneman, and Manuella. And me. I’m not going to leave your side,” Byleth tells her, looking into her wife’s eyes. Edelgard tries to bite down the churning in her stomach and the shameful heat on her neck at the thought of anyone besides Byleth seeing her body, let alone that many people. With lips pursed, her chest starts to tighten up, and then it just gets out of control. Her breath hitches as her heart twists about beneath her breast, and she clutches at it before her vision starts fading and her left arm is screaming at her in pain--She can’t see--  
  
\--She wakes up in her bed.  
  
“ _Byleth?!_ ” Arms wrap around her from behind and her skin jumps in surprise before she exhales. “ _Byleth_.”  
  
“Yeah it’s me,” Byleth says, sounding… different. Edelgard tries to turn her head but she gets dizzy twisting her neck like that. She looks down at her body, she’s wearing the same fitted dress she was earlier, but she can tell her whole body is damp with sweat. Cold sweat. Her chest starts spasming again and she chokes back a yelp. Byleth quickly pulls Edelgard in closer, sitting them both slightly more upright against the headboard. Thankfully the pain subsides quickly, but her body feels fatigued somehow. “You had a minor heart attack.” Edelgard’s eyes blow open. Only when Byleth sniffs does Edelgard realize she must’ve been crying. The empress gently squeezes Edelgard’s stomach with her hug and rests her forehead against the back of Edelgard’s head, made easier by the lack of headdress. “You didn’t wake up right away. You… I-- Ferdinand heard me trying to wake you up and Bernie did CPR.” Byleth lets out the most broken sigh Edelgard’s ever heard, and Edelgard is getting more and more angry that her useless body won’t just let her turn and hug her wife who’s--Edelgard tries to turn anyway. She can only flip her body on it’s side before whimpering in pain. Her chest feels like it’s on fire. And maybe it is; maybe the Crest of Flames is burning her from the inside out. I deserve it, she thinks to herself. “Please, don’t move El! You--You almost died! Right in front of me! Just like that--I-- _Fuck_.”  
  
_“Your Majesty!” Ferdinand shouted, referring to Byleth who was shaking from head to toe as she held Edelgard’s unconscious body in her arms. Byleth just remembers thinking that Edelgard looked pale. Really pale. Nearly as white as her hair. And she was cold. Edelgard always runs hot. “Your Majesty, you must set her down! Bernadetta?! Help!” Bernadetta ran in, hopping as she skirted around the papers covering the floor yet again.  
  
“Professor! I can do CPR! Lay her down.” Byleth didn’t let her wife go. She couldn’t. It was like she was frozen. Did I just kill her? Byleth wondered. The first two minutes of Edelgard being unconscious, Byleth couldn’t even move. Never in her life had she been frozen in place. But she looked at Edelgard who was face first on the ground, drooling somehow as her eyes glazed over. It was… it was horrible. And then Byleth started screaming. Screaming as though she was about to be murdered. It took both Bernadetta, Ferdinand, and a servant who was nearby, to tear Edelgard away from Byleth for Bernie to even do the CPR.  
  
“She doesn’t have that much time!” Ferdinand shouted at Byleth. Her eyes felt like they sandpaper against her lids when she did blink once she realized Ferdinand was right up in her face. “Let go of her.” Finally Byleth let go and the servant set Edelgard down, and Bernadetta straddled Edelgard’s thighs as she started to rapidly press her palms against Edelgard’s chest. The way Edelgard’s body jerked, and the horrible pop of a rib made Byleth go green in the face. Byleth had killed people. She sliced someone down the center and watched their insides fall apart, yet seeing Edelgard, down on her back, completely just… helpless, made her sicker than any killing.  
  
A crowd of terrified people formed outside the door, and Byleth felt her whole body closing in on itself. They can’t see Edelgard like this. She--They can’t see her like this. Just as she stood up, hardly able to do so as Ferdinand watched worriedly, Caspar’s loud voice rang through the halls.  
  
“Get out the way! Everybody move. Please!” The second his heavy metallic footsteps neared the door, Byleth dropped back down to her knees with relief. “What can I do?!” He must have heard the racket from his office far down the hall. He was the head of military affairs after all.  
  
“Please just stay back,” Byleth rasped, touching her throat as if to see if those words even came from her mouth. Caspar bit his lip in worry as he shook his head.  
  
“Blow air into her mouth,” Bernadetta said to her fiance. That’s when Byleth jumped into action.  
  
“Stop! No. I’ll do it. Tell me when.” Bernadetta nodded and licked her lips in fear as she started barking skittish orders. Edelgard’s lips felt so wrong in this context. She felt cold again. It didn’t make sense. She wasn’t dead. Right? She’s fine, right?! Byleth’s heart started beating even faster than it already was. Byleth was growing lightheaded, trying to blow as much air into Edelgard’s mouth while keeping Edelgard’s nose pinched. Just twenty minutes ago I was thinking how cute this nose is. She blew again. Now I’m thinking she might die. Blow. And I’ll never be able to look at this nose again. She blew again. Don’t die. Please. If you die I’m gonna die too. Then Edelgard’s eyes blinked.  
  
“She--Edelgard?!” Ferdinand called, shaking her shoulder. “Please tell me you saw that, Caspar!”  
  
“Y-yeah! She blinked.” Then she did it again. Bernadetta bursted into hot tears, slowing down her hands. Byleth blew into Edelgard’s mouth a few more times before those eyes shot open and her whole body jumped into a seated position. “Edelgard?!” She didn’t answer. And then she passed out again. “The hell!”  
  
“S-Sh-She’s exhausted!” Bernie explained, hugging herself as she awkwardly fell off of Edelgard’s lap. What a sight this was, the four of them on the floor while Caspar rattled in his armor by the door.  
  
“Yes,” Ferdinand agreed, sounding more than relieved as he brushes a hand over his face. “Take her to your room. We will bring her water and food or--or something.” Byleth acted immediately, kissing Edelgard’s head as she lifted her with ease._  
  
“Please stop crying,” Edelgard begged, trying her best to fight through the stiffness of her body as her head bobbed with the sporadic nature of Byleth’s heaving chest. She dug her fingers into Byleth’s arm because that’s all she could get from this angle. “I’m… I’m ok. You all saved me.” Byleth was wetting Edelgard’s hair with her tears and her snot as she tried to calm herself down but she just couldn’t get that image of Edelgard, completely limp, out of her mind.  
  
“I froze. I f-froze when you needed me."  
  
“You’re… only human… Byleth.” Edelgard was already feeling short of breath again. _How did it get this bad in just three days? I’m… I’m dying, aren’t I?_ A hot wave of panic had her body drenched in sweat. _I don’t want to die_. “Byleth… Byleth?”  
  
“SNIFF!”  
  
“I’m not going to die.” The crying behind her stopped for a second. “Tell me I’m...not… going to die, Byleth.” Edelgard’s fingers dug into Byleth even harder.  
  
“Y-You’re not going to die, El.” Byleth’s breath finally began to even out, and she let out a loud huff as she forced herself back down to Earth. Adjusting her body, she slipped out from behind Edelgard who felt like she was getting hotter and hotter, and laid Edelgard back against the pillow. The horribly ragged appearance of her wife made her heart twitch. She looked down at her hand, and so much sweat was covering it. “El? Stay awake for me. Ok?”  
  
“I’m… awake.” She sounded so faint. So unlike herself. “I feel… so hot.” Byleth made quick work of ridding Edelgard of her stockings and boots before carefully putting a hand under Edelgard’s back to lift her up. Their faces were close, and their eyes were both heavy for different reasons as she unzipped Edelgard’s dress.  
  
“Can you hold onto me?” Edelgard weakly nodded and held onto Byleth’s arms as they flexed under her palms. She was trying to undo Edelgard’s bodice blind. Difficult but doable. The hardest part of this whole thing was trying to get the dress actually off of Edelgard who was too stiff to do much more than move her arms. When Edelgard was finally naked, her skin cooled off, but then something else creeped in.  
  
“N-NO! B-Byleth! They’re going to see my s-scars a..and… I… I c-ca-can’t--”  
  
“They won’t be looking at your skin Edelgard.” She shushes her wife the best she can before Edelgard frantically starts squirming. Byleth has to regretfully back up when Edelgard’s hands light up in flames that burn through the bedsheets. Byleth doesn’t have such a crest anymore. If Edelgard so much as accidentally kicked her right now, Byleth would have more than one broken bone. So she just has to stand away from the bed, trying her best to calm her wife down. “El. It’s just me,” she says over the top of the emperor’s manic mumbling. Byleth’s sure Edelgard is having some sort of flashback right now, and she’s sure she knows which type. “El! El it’s me, ok? I’m right here. Just like always. Take a breath. Stop using your crest. Let me hold you. You want me to hold you, don’t you?” Slowly does Edelgard calm down, and then the fire at her palms dissipates. Byleth stays aways for another minute before getting into the bed, pulling the canopy around the bed closed so Edelgard will feel less vulnerable in the open room.  
  
“Hug me,” Edelgard urges. Byleth kicks her boots off and gets on her back before pulling Edelgard into her chest and running her hands up and down her wife’s arms. “I’m sorry.”  
  
“No. It’s ok. Just breathe for me. You’re ok, El.” Edelgard’s breathing starts to fall into a more natural pace as the minutes drag on, and all the while, Byleth whispers things into her white hair. “I love you El. I’m right here for you. You’re doing great, my heart. I love you so so much.”  
  
....  
  
“When is it happening?”  
  
“Tomorrow. Lysithea and Claude will be here late tonight. You’re not going to see her until after the surgery. Or anyone really. All of our teammates will be here. Supporting you.” The sentiment warms Edelgard’s withering heart, and she’s so thankful that Byleth is doing the hugging for her because she’s too tired even though she’s yearning for this like nothing else. “Hubert’s going to be here. It’s been a while since you saw him. He’s still… grumpy. Though he got kinda… younger looking. Maybe you were stressing him out,” Byleth jokes.  
  
“Gee thank you,” Edelgard mubles. “Blame me for the early grave he was driving himself into.”  
  
“I’d happily walk into my grave if you asked me to.”  
  
“Don’t say that.”  
  
“You’re right,” Byleth responds quietly. She watches as her own fingers dance over Edelgard’s naked back, avoiding the scars she knows by heart now.  
  
“I’m going to go to sleep, Byleth.” Her eyes start drifting closed already.  
  
“Wait, El? You’re… going to wake up, right?” Edelgard forces herself to get up on her forearms, and she looks Byleth dead in the eye as she says,  
  
“I have to wake up. For the both of us.” Byleth nods, and Edelgard drops back down, shutting her eyes again. “I love you too.” Then she was out.  
  
Ex Ordelian Territory:  
  
"And here we are, Ghost Byleth." The wyvern makes a cry of strain as it lowers down onto the grassy outskirts of town. The wind was horrendous and Claude’s poor nose it about as red as a burning coal. No matter, because Ghost Byleth is right behind him, cheering him on. He looks over his shoulder, pretending Byleth is grinning at his nervous jittering. "Gah shut up! This is a big deal! If she doesn't agree to coming with me to the palace she is just--No. No if she doesn't agree I'll just have to bring the doctors here." Satisfied, he finally steps off the wyvern and hooks his bow to his back, just in case any imperial guards try to mess with him now that Byleth’s gone. After all, Claude’s not looked on so kindly in Fodlan anymore, seeing as he ran away to Almyra after the fight in the Alliance. He sighs thinking about it. _No time to be moping. Time to get the girl, big guy_.  
  
_Knock. Knock._  
  
A minute goes by, and he finally hears chatting on the other side of the small black door in front of him. What in the--Dad! Dad can you please go away for a mi--No he's not my boyfriend! Claude starts smiling, big and goofy as he hears Lysithea's voice again after so long. Any of the anxiety in his body just bleeds out now. _I'm supposed to be here for her. I know I am. Of course now it's time to pull out all the stops_. He drops down on one knee and reaches for the velvet box in his pocket. The door swings open.  
  
"Claude what--"  
  
"--I'm only going to ask this--well as many times as it takes." _POP!_ "Marry me, Lysithea. I love you with all of my being. And I've found a way to get those crests out of you, my love." Lysithea, for once in her life, is stunned and utterly speechless as her mind grasps at straws. He's lying, she concludes, staring down at him and the beautiful pink diamond ring in his gloved hands. Surgery has such a low chance of survival. _There’s no way_. Lysithea bites the back of her lip, trying to slow down her heart that's always beating too quickly for her own good. Claude’s worrying face just adds fuel to her fire though, and she can feel a tounge lashing coming on.  
  
"It's not fair Claude. I--I can't marry you! I already _told_ you this." Claude dejectedly puts the ring back in his breast pocket as he stands. "Just give up already. Please. It's for your own good."  
  
"Never." Her head bobs up towards him. "I'm never giving up. I've already left Almyra behind me. I'll even live here, in the Empire, at your side, if you want us to take care of your pops and your mom. Hey guys!” He waves at the two who are supposed to not be listening in. He smiles at them when Lysithea starts barking,  
  
"Gah! Get out of here you-- _Ghhhh_. Claude you say such crazy things that I can't even begin to understand." Claude’s eyes soften up, and he boldly takes her hands in his and brings them up to his lips so he can kiss her fingers.  
  
"Marry me. After you get the surgery. After you recover with me at your side at every step. Marry me, Lysithea." The young woman blinks away the stupid tears littering her lids as she watches his lips delicately kiss her hands, up to her thin wrists. He's always so gentle with her. Even back then, when he joked with her, it was different. It's… it feels special; even when she doesn't ask for it. _Come on_ , Claude says to himself. _Please let this be it. Please. I love you so much_.  
  
"Alright Claude," Lysithea breathes. "I… I will."  
  
"YES!"  
  
"Our daughter will be wed!!!" Count Ordelia shouts. Lysithea whips around and throws a glove sitting at the table beside the door at her father, hitting him square in the face. Claude just laughs it up, fist pumping the air at the best victory he's ever had before he scoops her up in his arms.  
  
"Hey hey _hey!_ I don't want to be carried!" Lysithea yelps.  
  
"Thank you. Thank you so much for giving me this chance," Claude whispers to her, kissing her blushing cheeks. _And thanks Byleth. Thanks for helping me pick out that ring_. He grins thinking about the struggle that was ring shopping for someone like Lysithea. “She can't just have any ring, Claude. Lysithea has to have something special.” Byleth was right, after all. And this ring suited Lysithea's eye color perfectly too. Claude only sets his fiance down once she whacks him over the head hard enough to see stars. “SHEESH! Who knew your little body was packing that much power.”  
  
“Little body? You must not be referring to me,” Lysithea sassily retorts as her father undermines her by crushing her in a hug that her mother is quick to join in on. Claude watches as Lysithea huffs and puffs her way through it before he’s being yanked in by his collar.  
  
“You’re part of this family now, kiddo. Get in here.” Claude’s never been so happy to hug in his entire life.  
  
After Dinner:  
  
“Psst! Hey Lysithea,” Claude whispers loudly with an obnoxious wave. She rolls her eyes as she passes the rest of the dirtied dishes to her mother in the kitchen. “I’m gonna take that sigh as a yes. Let’s go for a walk.” Lysithea nips the inside of her lips at the suggestion.  
  
“I’m… not very good with walking right now. My breathing gets a little ragged quite easily now.” Claude frowns in sympathy before he holds a hand out anyway.  
  
“Then let’s just take a step outside, and we’ll sit down right away.” Lysithea stares at his hand, almost having to think far too hard about what to do before reluctantly taking it and having his fingers thread with hers. She’s surprised by how good it feels. With a stern look from her mother that’s saying, _you BETTER go out there missy_ , Lysithea settles on nodding in agreement. Claude smiles charmingly, with a flicker of light in his eyes, as he pulls her outside, making sure to hand her the one white wool jacket hanging next to two black ones by the door.  
“I can get my own coat,” she argues tiredly. He just grins and takes it a step further, helping her get it on. Neither of them comment on the way she winces and stiffens up when she has to move her arms backward to get the jacket on. _One day it’ll be better for you, my love. And soon_. A gust of wind greets them as they step out of the house, hand in hand, before they look up at the shimmering starlit sky. “Ah! I can see that eagle constellation. Look!” She points up to it with a huge innocent smile on her face, and Claude finds himself far too busy staring at her instead of the stars. She points out another, but his lack of response causes her to look at him, and her face gets all red at his obvious staring. “Why are you looking at me like that?” Claude hums, chuckling as he finally gets them moving again towards the modest water well surrounded by pink and white roses that are dying with the change of season.  
  
“You’re just as beautiful as any stinky old star that’s bound to burn out someday.” Lysithea makes a sad noise as she rests her hip against the side of the jagged bricks of the well she spent so much time playing around as a happy-go-lucky child.  
  
“I’ve read that those stars sitting up there, they’re just big pieces of fire that have already been born and died. It’s always made me a little sad,” Lysithea tells him softly, looking up at a star that’s flickering slowly. “One time Ignatz painted me a picture of the sky with the moon and the stars. The moon was so big, just as expected, but it got me thinking about how overpowering it is to those little stars, constantly being an afterthought to those who seek out the moon first. It sort of reminded me of myself and--and all those other kids,” she trails off. Her eyes look haunted as she drops her chin and fixates on a little hole in her skirt that her tiny shaking hands begin to pick at. That’s when Claude puts one finger under her chin and leans in, close enough to see each speck in her irises before shutting his own eyes and pressing his lips to hers. The wind slows, and the trees quiet their bustling as their hearts pound in their ears for the ten seconds the kiss lasts. He pulls away, slow as can be, as he gazes into her eyes yet again.  
  
“I don’t think those stars are insignificant at all. I think that all those stars that surround the moon make that white blob of rock mean even more. And hey, I kinda feel like that rock. Like I stick out like a sore thumb, while you fit in, yet shine the brightest amongst all those other stars. Sometimes being different is lonelier than anything else. But if being different is what makes me have the drive to do anything I can to deserve a shining star like you, Lysithea; then I’ll strive to be even more outta place.” Lysithea’s lips part in subtle awe as she takes in all of his words. She always thought him to be brash and dishonest when they were younger. Yet the more time she’s spent with him since the aftermath of the war, the more wrong she knows she was. Her lips tingle from the kiss, and she touches them with the back of her thumb as he smiles down at her and pets her thin sickly arm.  
  
“Claude?” He hums with a smile. “I’m going to ask one more time, then never again.” He straightens up his back as he nods. “There’s a chance that even if I live through this surgery, that the damage the crest has done on my body could still kill me early. Are you willing to marry me, even knowing that all your work was fruitless?”  
  
“Yes. I thought we already covered this part.”  
  
That was that.  
  
The Next Morning:  
  
Edelgard woke up first, stretching out her left arm as she yawns. Her stirring got Byleth’s eyes to pop open, red and dry, a sure way to tell she’s only been asleep for two hours of the night. Edelgard has significantly more strength than she did yesterday, though she can’t seem to sit upright until Byleth helps her. She forgot she was naked, and she shivers violently before her dutiful wife, who expected such a thing to happen, and wraps a blanket made from the fur of a Faerghus bear; it always reminds her of Dimitri (which is good or bad depending on the day). The two of them allow the silence to speak for them, and they look at each other’s faces and hands for a long while before Byleth’s brow quirks upward. The empress leans over Edelgard to pull back the crimson canopy and checks the tall oak grandfather clock that reads as half past eight.  
  
“We’ve got to get some liquids in you before the surgery.”  
  
“When is that?”  
  
“Twelve.” Edelgard’s anxiety spikes up under her skin. “Do you want me to bring water and juice to you now?” The emperor nods curtly. “I’ll be back in five minutes, ok?” Edelgard got dressed as she waited, though she didn’t get far once she realized she put far too much clothing on for Hanneman and Lindhart to just end up cutting through. Edelgard hated when Byleth inevitably had to help, and Edelgard just kept dismissing each item of clothing because it was too revealing or too thick or--she just felt haughty by the time they were through.  
  
“I’m sorry,” Edelgard breathes as she sets her glass down. Byleth, seated across from her at their side table set by the only uncovered window in the room, just shakes her head.  
  
“It’s ok. Today’s a big day, El.”  
  
“And you’ll be by my side. So… so I will thrive, just as we always do.” Byleth abruptly leans over the table, nearly knocking the glasses over just so she can smother her wife in kisses. Edelgard’s all about it until Byleth playfully licks the tip of her nose. “Repulsive,” Edelgard chuckles. Of course Byleth just does it again, and this time her tongue nearly drags all the way up to Edelgard’s loose bangs before the emperor starts shouting.  
  
“Alright alright,” Byleth laughs, parting after one more true kiss against her wife’s lips. “But you should be expecting a lot of kissing the next few days.”  
  
“Are your lips supposed to heal me?”  
  
“Why of course. I _was_ blessed by the Goddess after all.”  
  
“Yuck,” Edelgard croaks. “Don’t pull that card on me now, my light.”  
  
“Then you don’t get to pull the emperor card on me.”  
  
“Oh is that right?” Edelgard bites her lip as she sizes her empress up. She still looks so hot when she does that, Byleth thinks with a grin. “How about I stop demanding you to fuck me exactly how I want in bed then? Hmm? I thought you like doing what your emperor asks of you.” That shuts Byleth right up. Only then does Edelgard blush. And then Byleth drops her head in her hands and whines.  
  
“You really do have power over my entire being,” the empress admits exasperatedly.  
  
“Same for you, Byleth.” Her lilac eyes glance at the clock; it’s somehow already eleven-thirty and her stomach sinks. Soon Byleth takes her hand and leads her to a room at the far end of the west wing where few people go besides them, and Edelgard’s stomach drops low enough to fall out of her body. Still, she continues forward, slowly, with her chin held high, and holds Byleth’s hand in hers all the while. Once Byleth bravely twists the rose encased doorknob, and allows Edelgard to pass through, she’s met with the acid green eyes of Hubert’s looking directly into hers.  
  
“...Your Majesty,” he rasps, trying to hold back the emotion on his face as he takes in the ill sight of her after months without so much as hearing her voice. Edelgard breaks into a smile that she only controls by biting down on her lip. Byleth was right. He really does look younger. His lips turn upward as he carefully approaches her. It’s clear he wants to embrace her, but holds himself back. Byleth looks between the two of them before sighing and smooshing them together. “Grrr.”  
  
“B-Byleth,” Edelgard warns while having her nose pressed up and crooked against her best friend’s chest. The two of them awkwardly pat each other’s backs until they break apart seconds later. “Apologies, my dear friend.”  
  
“It’s quite alright, Your Majesty.”  
  
“Hubert?”  
  
“Yes?”  
  
“Just call me Edelgard in here.” His eyes show every bit of his gratitude as he bow politely.  
  
“Alright then ‘Edelgard,’” comes the voice of Lindhart. She gets on her tippy toes to look past Hubert. “I must say, I’m somewhat jittery, seeing you again.”  
  
“Ah. Of course. Hello.” Then she turns to Hanneman and Manuela who are smiling warmly her way. “Hello to you both as well. I thank you both now, for I fear I may not be well enough to do so later.” Manuela chuckles and waves it off.  
  
“Oh sweetheart; think nothing of it. I left the opera company the second I heard my emperor and my favorite co-worker needed me.” She nudges Hanneman HARD in the ribs and he winces as he slinks away. Byleth just mouths the word, _Behave_ , at the two.  
  
“Now now,” Hanneman coughs. “Just as Manuela says, I am more than willing to help you, just as the Empire has helped me.”  
  
“Is Lysithea here?" Edelgard asks, running her hands together nervously. Byleth puts an arm around her wife and nuzzles her nose into that long white hair she loves so much.  
  
“Mhm,” Lindhart answers. He’s too busy fixing up the heavy wool blankets on the otherwise bare bed (probably to catch blood) to elaborate.  
  
“I arrived just as Claude and her flew in. I spotted a ring on her finger, I might add.” Hubert looks at Byleth then. “Did you know he was going to propose, empress?”  
  
“Just stick with using my name. And yeah. I did.” She whistles under her breath. “Glad it worked out. I was getting nervous there.”  
  
“Hmm. Perhaps you bring luck to more than one woman, then.”  
  
“Do you need a little luck getting yourself someone, Hubert?” He and Edelgard both scoff in response. “You’re both no fun.”  
  
“This is nice and all,” Lindhart cuts in, throwing down a few extra pure silver tools on a table by the bed. “But we should begin soon so Lysithea won’t be waiting for too much longer. I fear she may well bust the door down if we take too long.”  
  
“She can wait,” Hubert hisses.  
  
“Shush,” Edelgard chides him, glaring lightly. With Byleth urging her forward, Edelgard confidently steps up to the bed… and then freezes. Right away, Hubert can sense her worries, and he softly speaks up.  
  
“I will take my leave. And I will guard this door for you, Your M--Edelgard.” He opens the door and leaves without another word. Still, Edelgard finds herself unable to move and just sit down like she must.  
  
“Manuela, Hanneman? Will you stand back for just a moment?” Reluctantly, the two nod and walk towards the door as quietly as possible. “El?”  
  
“Mm?”  
  
“Can you lay down for me? Lindhart’s going to put you to sleep.”  
  
“I know,” Edelgard sighs, sounding defensive now. “You don’t need to tell me that, I just--” She cuts herself off, forcing her body to get on the bed by her own will. She aggravatedly adjusts her thin dress which has buttons along the front of the bodice. “Byleth. Remember that memory you had yesterday morning? The one about holding my hand as you slept.”  
  
“Of course.”  
  
“Will you do that for me? Now?”  
  
“I will. Now lean back for me,” Byleth says with the softest voice she can muster. Edelgard shoots her a panicked look that Byleth counters with a gentle smile. It almost takes Edelgard back for a second, realizing this woman who’s shown her so much love within these past days, months, even, is the same teacher she knew who could hardly quirk her brow in humor. Fingers distract her as they interlace with her trembling ones. She watches as Byleth beckons Lindhart closer with his spellbook in hand. “You ready?”  
  
“I-I suppose so,” Edelgard answers, licking her lips. “I love you.”  
  
“I love you more,” Byleth claims, leaning close so they can share one last kiss that tastes far too desperate and final. Byleth’s free hand tangles in Edelgard’s long hair as she passionately locks her lips with her wife again and again, freely swapping spit without an ounce of shame in the moment. Lindhart coughs and looks away with a shake of his head. This won’t be the last kiss, Edelgard swears to herself. With a whine, Edelgard pulls away and looks longingly into her empress’s face. “I’ll see you soon, El. Stay strong for me.” Then Lindhart snapped his fingers and then clapped, and Edelgard fell back into the bed, dead to the world. Once she’s sure the emperor isn’t going to wake up, she drops her head against Edelgard’s breast and takes in a huge breath.  
  
“I won’t let her die here, Professor. You have my word.”  
  
“I know, Lindhart. Thank you again.”  
  
_Rustle. Shtt. RustleRustle_.  
  
From neck to waist, Edelgard’s made nude by her wife’s hands. Soon Manuela pulls up a chair by the head of the bed, so Byleth can sit and hold Edelgard’s hand as promised while Hanneman and Lindhart stand at opposite ends of the bed. The two look at each other before confirming they’re ready, and then it begins. The second the scalpel goes into Edelgard’s breast, Byleth shuts her eyes and drops her head against the bed. _Please be alright once this is all over. I need you_.  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The part where Byleth asked El to hold her hand at night is totally based on me and my Grandma. During this whole pandemic, I keep reminiscing on things that made me happy as a kid... and I called my Grandma the other day just to remind her of that stupid memory; it made her day. There's something so unreasonably pure about Edelgard and Byleth. I don't get it lol. It also just amazes me how much of a softy this total dick of a character is when you play Blue Lions compared to Silver Snow or Crimson Flower or even Verdant Wind. I always tell my significant other now (cuz she has yet to play any route but Azure Moon) how amazing El is... and she just doesn't get it lol. Anyway, thanks for reading.


	4. Chapter 4

  
A Day Later; Early Morning:  
  
"Hey Claude."  
  
"Teach," he tiredly greets, barely waving his hand as he's slouched in his chair that's set by the head of Lysithea's guest bed. Byleth, with matching bags under her eyes, hands him a cup of coffee that has more sugar than coffee in it, just how he likes. He squeaks when he takes the first sip, and Byleth grins as she sips her water. "I think the availability of coffee down here in Enbarr is the only reason it's so good," he jokes with a voice all grovely.  
  
"Besides the fact that Lysithea is close to Enbarr you mean."  
  
"Eh. That too, I guess." They hum as they look down at Lysithea who still hasn't woken up since the surgery. It was worrying, especially with how shallow her breathing was for a while there. At some point in the night, Claude busted into the royal bedchambers yelling for Byleth’s help. Of course she followed, but only after making sure her own wife was still asleep enough not to wake up alone. When she shut the bedroom doors, Claude, for maybe the first time ever, broke down in front of her. _"She’s not waking up! Why isn't she waking up?! W-what if she's never going to wake up, Byleth?"_ She remembers, in her exhausted stupor, pulling him into a hug as he shook in her arms. That was all he needed to set himself straight again. Byleth stayed by his side for an hour, petting Lysithea's sweating forehead as he rocked in the chair beside his fiancee while gripping her hand with all of his might.  
  
"She’s going to be up soon," Byleth says now, patting his shoulder. "I think El will be too." He doesn't say anything, so she quietly attempts to make her exit.  
  
"Teach?" She stops. "I get why you love Edelgard so much." That gets Byleth’s ears to perk up. "Lyisthea and I talked for hours before the big surgery, and she told me all about the months she spent with you and the Black Eagle Strikeforce. You guys treated her like she was one of you. That's something we didn't always do on the Golden Deer."  
  
"Edelgard got along with her the best," Byelth reminds him.  
  
"So I've heard. She uh, told me this story about how Edelgard would go to silly extremes, ordering sweets from all over Fodlan, just to find out what cakes Lysithea liked best."  
  
"I remember that," Byleth chuckles, taking a sip of water again as Claude sips his coffee.  
  
"She told me Edelgard was always there when Lysithea asked to be, and it’s kinda amazing Lysithea even wanted to ask for someone's company. She said that one time, Edelgard showed up with four different blankets at night, just because Lysithea complained about how itchy the one she had was." Byleth nods along, knowing that's exactly something her wife would do. Claude looks at her with sincerity as he admits that, "If that's the way the ruthless emperor I thought was just a killing machine really is, then I was damn stupid."  
  
….  
  
"You should tell Edelgard this sometime. She'd really appreciate it." Claude grins in response, and Byleth says goodbye and good luck before leaving.  
  
She’s been pacing around, glancing outside the bedroom windows every now and then. It looks so bright for late Fall. The leaves are all gone and the air unmistakably breezy, but it's still warm enough to fish so Byleth can be content with that. She can make out the bare lines of her reflection as she looks through the glass, and she adjusts her hair and stretches out her arms. Then she spots movement on the bed before Edelgard groans and her head comes up just barely. Byleth just about breaks her cup in her clenching fist before she runs to the bed.  
  
"El!"  
  
"Nnn." Edelgard’s blinking and yawning and groaning and whining as she slowly comes to. With the rapidity of a rabbit's feet, Byleth lunges for Edelgard’s hands.  
  
"El. Hey. You’re here with me." She presses kiss after kiss to Edelgard’s hand until Edelgard opens her eyes fully.  
  
" _Everything hurts_." Byleth nods and stands up, ready to bolt towards the room Lindhart is in. " _Wait_ ," Edelgard chokes. "Just… I want a hug." Who is Byleth to say no? She drops down on the bed with a thudd and pulls Edelgard into her arms as carefully as she can. She takes a big breath in, filling herself with the scent of Edelgard who has an edge of something awful to her otherwise carnation-like smell. She smells of blood and burnt skin.  
  
“The scar on your breast,” Byleth begins, wanting Edelgard to know now before she dares to look at herself. “It goes to about your navel, and they had to burn the incision so as to keep you from being infected.” Edelgard groans, feeling every bitter ounce of pain now that Byleth mentioned it. She touches her chest and then yelps once her hand touches herself through her slightly bloodied nightgown Byleth must have gotten her into. “I’ll get Manuela to heal you again.”  
  
“I-In a minute,” Edelgard demands, tugging Byleth closer so she can hide her pained face in her empress’s neck. Her heart is beating steadily, but Edelgard’s muscles are screaming in agony as they seem to pull themselves apart further and further by the minute. “My light?”  
  
“Are you ok?”  
  
“I’m fine,” she lies, picking at Byleth’s sleeve as she loosely holds her close. “I’m glad I woke up.” Byleth exhales sharply against Edelgard’s ear, and the emperor shivers, feeling so alive right now, here in such a place as simple as their bedroom they’ve been in together so many nights. But it’s not just a bedroom; it’s their safe place. A place for them to talk about anything, a place for them to embrace with no eyes on their backs, a place for them to just be Byleth and Edelgard, and it’s a place for them to show each other the extent to which they love each other. Her lilac eyes flutter as Byleth’s long fingers drag through her hair from the roots to the ends. Edelgard’s sure to press a soft kiss to Byleth’s neck, thanking her silently (though she has to chuckle when Byleth’s head tips to the side for more).  
  
Not about to let her wife down, even if she’s hurting like no other time she can remember, Edelgard sucks it up and holds the side of Byleth’s neck with one hand before pressing one lethargic opened-mouth kiss to the skin beneath her lips again. Byleth’s pleased hum vibrates against her lips, tickling her nose and watering her eyes before she kisses her again. The low needy grit to the empress’s groan as she listens to the wetness of Edelgard’s kiss so perfectly close to her sensitive ear says it all. Edelgard once found it shameful just how much she ached for her teacher, and now her wife; though she’s finally grown to allow herself this one uncontrollable urge she has. Encouraged by Byleth’s hand tightening up on her waist that Byleth always grabs for at any chance she gets, Edelgard nips at the skin on the underside of Byleth’s jaw before licking up to the shell of her hot ear and sucking the lobe into her mouth.  
  
“Nnnn, _El_ ,” Byleth rasps, trying to swallow down the lump in her throat at the same time. She warningly squeezes Edelgard’s hips before saying, “We shouldn’t go down this roa--” Edelgard cuts her off with another swipe of her tongue that trails its way to the top of Byleth ear before her thin hands snake their way into blue locks and tug until Byleth’s head is tilted backward far enough for Edelgard to lay hot kisses against her wife’s thoracic cartilage. “Edelgard this really is dangerous for your sake.”  
  
“Is it?” Another hot kiss, this time at Byleth’s collarbone, the one place that makes her whole body twitch.  
  
“El I’m being serious. You just went through a life-threatening surgery. I can’t stand the thought of hurting you, baby.” Edelgard finally leans back, just far enough to look into Byleth’s eyes without being out of focus.  
  
“But I want you. Right now.”  
  
“I--” Byleth swallows hard and blushes faintly (a sight Edelgard rarely sees). “But you know how rough I can be,” she trails off quietly, trying her hardest to will away any of the arousal that’s soaking through her shorts no doubt. Edelgard smiles with heavy lidded eyes, and she wraps her arms around Byleth’s neck, pressing their noses together without blinking. She’s finally gotten so used to Byleth’s steady gaze that even at a proximity like this, she can hold it with equal fire in her eyes.  
  
“You would never hurt me on purpose. I know that you can be more gentle with me than a flower if I ask. To which I am asking now.” Edelgard lowers her voice to a near whisper. “My body hurts, though the pain is reminding me of _survival_ ,” she says with an honest smile. “I want nothing more than to bask in this gift of a life I’ve been given back, with you, my light.” The begging look in Edelgard’s eyes is one Byleth can’t stand to see. She should never have to. Not to me, not to anyone. With a confident nod of her head, Byleth agrees to it. The relieved exhale against Byleth’s lips proves to her this was the right choice anyhow. “Make love to me, Byleth.”  
  
“If you’re sure, then I’d like nothing more, my heart.” Kindly, Byleth pushes Edelgard onto her back, propping the pillow up beneath her emperor’s head just how she likes it before settling on her knees between Edelgard’s open legs. Their soft eye contact refuses to break as Byleth grazes her fingers over Edelgard’s skin and pushes her skirt up until it bunches at Edelgard’s waist. Smoothly does Byleth remove Edelgard’s smallclothes, careful to set them close enough in case Edelgard panics and wants them back on. “Should I remove your gown?” Edelgard doesn’t even hesitate.  
  
“Take it off, please.” Byleth smiles at her wife’s small victory and gets the dress off with a swift tug. She knows better than to prolong that sort of thing. Edelgard’s eyes finally get a peek at the new scar that’s even uglier than any of her past ones, and her lip quivers before she turns her head away, looking at the wall nearest to her side of the bed (the left side. She’s never been one to go the ‘right’ way). Bending over slightly, Byleth holds the side of Edelgard’s face and slowly brings it back to her.  
  
“This scar is a good one,” she says simply, ending it at that. Edelgard purses her lips and nods. Edelgard’s more than glad when Byleth continues with her feather-light touches, dragging the tips of her fingers across Edelgard’s flat stomach, careful not to pass over any scars as she watches the pale skin jump every now and then. _What’s the safest way I can do this for her?_ Byleth wonders as her thumb finally brushes up against Edelgard’s bare clitoris that’s already swollen. Edelgard’s breath hitches, and she’s such a sight to behold as her head tilts backward, leaving a deep indentation in the pillow. _The toy will put too much pressure on her_. Byleth dips her index finger between the wet folds and teases Edelgard’s entrance, just barely pressing her fingertip in. _My fingers will work, but even that might cause her body to shake too hard_. Byleth hum, leaning down so as to kiss her wife’s mound without thinking.  
“Hahh, _Byleth~_.” Her reaction peaks Byleth’s interest before it clicks in her thick skull. _I know what to do_. She lowers her mouth to Edelgard’s center and licks a slow stripe from the bottom up, ending with a suck to her clitoris. “Feels so good,” Edelgard sings already, reaching for the back of Byleth’s head to press her closer. If Edelgard had to describe the feeling of her wife’s wide tongue rolling between her lips, it’d be like eating the softest, moistest cake that when swallowed beside bergamot tea, goes down her throat like silk until it hits the pit of her throat and surprises her with its satisfactory thump. But even better than that, because Byleth is quite literally a Goddess of sorts. Now her mind is distracted as Byleth takes her legs and hooks them over her shoulders so she can dig in even more animatedly, licking faster and faster. An embarrassingly loud moan echoes off the ceiling and bounces right back into Edelgard’s warm face.  
  
“Moan like that again for me.” Edelgard does so shamelessly, adding to it by digging her nails slightly into one of Byleth’s shoulders. Byleth jerks her mouth away from Edelgard’s clitoris and looks up at her pleadingly.  
  
“You like when I scratch you, don’t you?” Edelgard teases. Byleth can’t quite describe how Edelgard’s voice just gets to her in moments like these, when Edelgard drops her voice just slightly lower and whinier. Byleth smirks before tipping her head back down and starts lapping at her wife like a dehydrated wolf. She’s licking with such enthusiasm that her bobbing head is causing her chin to become coated in arousal that’s all but gushing out of Edelgard by now. Edelgard’s mouth is slackened as she tries her hardest to keep up her hips rocking against Byleth’s perfect lips. She brokenly squeals when Byleth stops licking around her entrance and focuses solely on her clitoris with the same furious pace. She honestly worries she might go cross eyed in delight. “Bylethhhh. How on _Earth_ are you so _fucking good_ at this?” Her chest spasms as she moans louder this time, twisting Byleth’s hair in her hand roughly. Byleth doesn’t say anything, she just keeps doing what she’s doing, and Edelgard is more than ok with that logic.  
  
The entirety of Edelgard’s body feels light everywhere but between her legs, where blood is pumping madly in hopes of getting her to reach orgasm far too quickly. She wants this to last, it feels so mind-numbingly good. She’s addicted to Byleth. To her hands that are soothingly rubbing her thighs, to her tongue, to her nose pressing into her mound, to the indigo blue hair she’s staring down at. Everything. _What would my life be without you, my love? Nothing. It would be nothing, my beautiful, perfect, loyal and proud Byleth_. Noticing her insides are tightening up, Edelgard grasps for a hand on her leg and pushes it away, hoping Byleth knows what she wants. Of course her wife does, and she laughs in absolute tear-inducing bliss as two long fingers sink into her with ease.  
  
“You’re doing so well,” Edelgard praises her, looking down with a loopy smile.  
  
“So are you. And you taste amazing as always.” Edelgard huffs in acknowledgment and drops her head back down, twisting her head to the side. She’s allowing her entire body to just be given to Byleth. She isn’t holding Byleth closer or jerking into her, no. She wants Byleth to have her entirely. Once Byleth takes notice of this, she groans so aggressively that she gets lightheaded, feeling beyond turned on at this point. She’s just about drowning in the moment, thinking that if she has to die, this is how she wants to go. Byleth presses one last kiss to Edelgard’s lower lips before slowing down her finger’s thrusts and cautiously leaning over Edelgard, only made easy by their height difference. She just has to look into those beautiful lilac eyes that are wet with unabashed awe and love and so much more. Slowly Byleth leans in for the softest kiss she can possibly give her wife, and she picks up the pace of her fingers all over again. “El.”  
  
“Byleth.” As she says this, Edelgard’s eyes glaze over as her body is thrust even deeper into ecstasy that’s so fine and intoxicating that her body temperature has no doubt gone up to unbelievable heights. Her hands find Byleth’s arms that flex on and off as she squeezes the biceps and triceps she loves to admire so often. _I’m so close. I’m so so close_ , she thinks as her hips begin to buck sporadically. All the while Byleth never compromises her pace, curling her fingers and rubbing inside of Edelgard perfectly. At this point into their marriage, there’s no way Edelgard can get off with her own hand. She just needs Byleth. Always Byleth.  
  
“I want a baby with you,” Byleth bluntly says. Edelgard blinks.  
  
“Hmm?”  
  
“I want a baby with you. When you’re healthy again.” Edelgard blinks once more.  
  
“Alright. Then we’ll have a child.” Byleth, for some reason, looks surprised. “What? I-mm-I told you I pondered having one.” Goddess she’s so distracted. Byleth won’t stop rubbing against her g-spot, and the stretch Byleth’s fingers causes the skin of her entrance to deal with drives her just as insane. “Byleth?”  
  
“Yeah?” Byleth’s smiling like a fool as she says this, and Edelgard finds it awfully adorable at a time like this.  
  
“Can we talk about this later? I feel as though I’m about to explode.” Byleth grins and shakes her head, clearly trying to focus on the task at hand. Literally. The subtle hard thrust forces Edelgard’s whole body to jerk up the bed.  
  
“Ah! Sorry! I didn’t mean to--”  
  
“--Stop talking and keep doing that,” Edelgard orders, looking wild as she pants and moans and whines the harder Byleth gets. Her heart hurts. She doesn’t care. “UNGH! _FuckmefuckmefuckmefuckmeByleth!_ ”  
  
“Edelgard,” Byleth wheezes, moving as fast as she possibly can, and living for the impressive amount of ejaculate bursting its way out of Edelgard and all over her palm and forearm. “You’re so gorgeous. Finish for me, El. Come on. You’re so close now, come on.” The prying of her words makes it that much better when Edelgard goes dead silent, biting her bottom lip until it hurts, and feels her inner walls pulsating around her wife’s still fingers. Her walls clench nearly as hard as they did the first time Edelgard ever orgasmed, and it floods her whole body, seeping out across her skin as goosebumps that have her twitching with the cool air touching her body. Byleth watches her wife’s face go through about a thousand different expressions for a full minute before Edelgard slumps, sighing with the loudest more relieved sigh Byleth’s ever heard.  
  
….  
  
….  
  
“I think that was the best orgasm I’ve ever had,” Edelgard chuckles, not bothering to open her eyes or move. Byleth snickers as she pulls her fingers out and glances around them for something to clean her hand with. There’s nothing, so she just licks it clean like the obedient empress she loves to be. “Did you lick your hand again?”  
  
“No.” Edelgard opens one eye. “Yes.” _Smack!_ “I can’t help it.”  
  
“You have no control, I've come to realize.”  
  
“Only when it comes to you,” she admits easily, moving from between Edelgard’s thighs and standing up to search for her glass of water. She wants Edelgard to drink something. Especially after all that moaning. She feels proud about that part though.  
  
“You also can’t control yourself when it comes to teasing Hubert.”  
  
“...No,” Byleth denies weakly, trying to hand the glass to Edelgard who’s leisurely keeping her eyes shut with a hand behind her head. Byleth takes the opportunity to stare at Edelgard’s breasts. _I mean they’re right there. And they’re fairly large. They’re good_. “Take the damn water,” she jokes. Edelgard opens one eye again, almost daring Byleth to repeat that. Byleth thinks that’s pretty hot. Reluctantly and with Byleth’s hand on her back, Edelgard sits up, wincing at the amount of arousal now coating her thighs and wetting the comforter. Byleth looks at it with a longing huff. _Her body can do the sexiest things, I swear_.  
  
“I hate to sound so demanding, but will you please get me a wet towel? I’m not sure I can walk after that.”  
  
“I don’t want you walking in general. Who knows how your body will handle everything for a while.” Edelgard just smirks. “What’s funny?”  
  
“We just had passionate sex.”  
  
“We did.”  
  
“So I think walking will be no hard task… just not immediately after an orgasm.”  
  
“Well don’t try it,” Byleth rationalizes, rolling her eyes. “Stay in this bed while I leave for thirty whole seconds. Or else.” Edelgard scoffs at such a threat.  
  
“Or else what?”  
  
“...Just… Stay in the bed!” She gets up with a wave of her hand and Edelgard chuckles as she sips her water. _I certainly won that_ , Edelgard thinks childishly.  
  
“Hurry my light! Your wife can’t bare too long without you.”  
  
“You’re cute,” Byleth says on her way out. Edelgard frowns at that and rubs her side that’s starting to ache again.  
  
“Am not,” she mumbles under her breath. As promised, Byleth arrives quickly, but Edelgard’s ears perk up when she hears chatting. Quickly does she scramble to cover herself. Moving too fast however, she yelps as her chest compresses suddenly. The best she can do is pull the comforter stuck under her around her front, covering her thighs and her breasts. _Byleth won’t let them see me_.  
  
“She’s fine,” Edelgard can make out faintly, straining to hear anything. “Hubert just relax! I took care of her.”  
  
“Oh did you now…?”  
  
“....”  
  
“You two really had sex right after--” Edelgard goes pale.  
  
“--I’ve gotta go,” Byleth deflects, and the doorknob jitters.  
  
“So the only reason I cannot see Her Majesty is because she is in the nude. Preposterous.” Edelgard quirks her brow, feeling far too embarrassed to breathe. The doorknob stops moving immediately.  
  
“Are you implying that you don’t mind seeing her naked?” There’s an edge to Byleth’s voice, and all too quickly does Edelgard fear she may need to grab Aymr and intervene because Byleth is about to--  
  
“I see no issue,” Hubert flatly answers. _Oh no. I’m sorry my friend_.  
  
“You’re going to die,” Byleth states.  
  
….  
  
“You better start running.”  
  
“Oh. As if I fear _you_ , Professor.” Edelgard puts a hand against her face and worriedly bites her tongue.  
  
“THREE. Two--”  
  
“--I’m going!” Hubert shouts, his voice about three octaves higher.  
  
“Too late.” The sound of two footsteps and then a loud smack and another shout make Edelgard jump. A strangled cry later and Edelgard pushes herself off the bed, wildly trying to find her robe.  
  
“Byleth?!” Edelgard calls, looking everywhere and trying so hard to find her stupid robe. She always has it in one place, how--”I trust you are not killing my closest friend, yes?!”  
  
“Huh? Oh--n-no. He’s fine.” The sound of more choking can be heard through the door. That’s when Edelgard spots black silk. She’s never been more thankful for the color of death. “Tell her you’re fine Hubert.”  
  
“I-KKT! _HELP_ , Your Majesty!” Edelgard swings the door open full force and comes face to face with Hubert. Hubert. Being hugged by Byleth with all of her might. “Your Majesty! She won’t release me!” Hubert’s never sounded so panicked in all of the years Edelgard has known him. Byleth’s just smirking, smug as can be.  
  
“...You are both impossible,” Edelgard sighs, shaking her head in disgust.  
  
“But--Let GO of me, Prof--Empress Byleth!”  
  
“You dared to think about my wife naked so this is what you get.”  
  
“Good grief,” Edelgard mumbles, boredly putting one hand on Byleth and one hand on Hubert before pulling the two apart. They both pout at each other before Edelgard snaps her fingers. “Stop being such pests. Hubert. A hug is nothing to cry over. And my light,” she affectionately calls, loving how Byleth’s head tips to the side. “Please don’t agitate Hubert. He can be sensitive.”  
  
“TCH! I am anything but sensitive,” he coughs, crossing his arms grumpily.  
  
“Alright well you got to see Edelgard now so can you leave us be?” Hubert rolls his eyes.  
  
“Fine.” He turns, but not before bowing to the emperor. “...I’m glad you’re well.” And then he leaves.  
  
“Will he ever lighten up?” Edelgard wonders aloud. Byleth then slaps the rag against Edelgard’s shoulder, soaking her robe. “Why would you--”  
  
“--I dunno.” Edelgard shakes her head, growing tired of this already, and takes the rag off of her shoulders. “And why are you out of the bed?! I tell you to do _one_ thing.” The two get back in the room and Byleth is nagging at her until they reach the bed.  
  
“Yes, my love. I will be more careful with how I exercise my body. Please, your incessant shouting is… annoying.”  
  
“Hmm I wonder who I sound like,” Byleth blurts out loud. Edelgard stops wiping herself to look up at Byleth with a venomous look in her eyes. Byleth backpedals real fast. “Uh. Hubert. That’s who I meant of course.”  
  
“Oh of course,” Edelgard hums, still looking scary as hell. Byleth whimpers as she ducks her head.  
  
“S-so uh--about that thing from earlier. The part where we had great sex and right before you had a lovely orgasm I mentioned having a kid. Let’s talk about that, yeah?”  
  
“...I suppose,” she says with all of the indifference in the world as she sets the soiled rag on the floor. Apparently that’s enough for Byleth to brighten up and jump on the bed, sitting crossed legged as Edelgard slowly moves to lie down on her back. Her ribs are on fire. “So we’ll be adopting from where?”  
  
“No adopting. I… may have a friend who’s got his hand in every corner, and he figured out a way to… to um.” Byleth rubs at the back of her neck and looks off to the side. “Well to make it so I can get you pregnant.” Edelgard’s immensely interested now.  
  
“Do go on.”  
  
“It’s some spell. He’s just trying to figure out how to change me back after it’s activated. He said that part’s tricky.”  
  
“And what exactly will you be changing to?” Byleth shrugs.  
  
“Just me. But. With different parts, I guess.” This suddenly feels awkward, and they both turn their attention somewhere else in the room.  
  
“And why have you decided that I will be the one to carry?” Byleth shrugs again.  
  
“I dunno. It just sort of makes sense to me. I’m not really… motherly.”  
  
“You’ve been someone many young people look up to for a while now. Does that not scream parental in some way?”  
  
“I’m just not touchy feely,” Byleth tries to explain, picking at the comforter. “Well with anyone besides you.”  
  
“You’re going to be a great mother, Byleth. I have no doubts that your stoicism will not be untouched by looking into your own child’s eyes. I’m saying, you will grow to be ‘touchy feely’ with them as well.” Byleth wrinkles her lip on one side.  
  
“I hope so. I always wished in hindsight that my Dad was more…” she stops herself. No point bringing that up. It’s too conflicting. “Are you not ok with carrying the kid?”  
  
“I would like to actually. I just worry how much it will interfere with my rule.”  
  
“Then abdicate early,” Byleth suggests.  
  
“No. There’s more I must do.” Byleth shoulders sag.  
  
“Oh. I guess we’ll have to wait to have a kid then.”  
  
“No,” Edelgard confirms, touching Byleth’s knee. “We can have one as soon as we are able.”  
  
“Really?” Byleth asks with bright eyes. “I can just see it, me and our kid sitting on the docks fishing until you come out and bark at us to eat dinner.”  
  
“I do _not_ bark at you.”  
  
“Mhm.”  
  
“Byleth, I swear.”  
  
“Fine. You don’t bark,” Byleth drawls. “Ah! And then when it’s cold at night, they can creep into our room and smack me on the arm before asking if they can cuddle up between us. Heh.” Edelgard watches in awe as Byleth continues with the silliest grin upon her lips as she animatedly waves her hands around. _I’m so proud of how far you’ve come, Byleth_. “Hey what kind of names do you like El?” Edelgard snaps back to attention and fixes her hair behind her ear. As she thinks, Byleth pulls down the covers, feeling a chill, and helps Edelgard get under them with her. Soon Byleth is on her back and Edelgard is leaning her head on Byleth’s chest, listening to her heart. It’s almost funny how this day has gone. Waking up in pain to chatting idly about their future after Edelgard was so sure hers was looking deadly. What a perfect life she’s found herself in. It’s almost too hard to accept.  
  
“Arvis for a boy, and perhaps… Elincia. My closest sister.” Byleth sympathetically rubs Edelgard’s shoulder for that one. “What about you, my light?”  
  
“Well,” Byleth speaks quietly, and the space feels more intimate again. “I wanted a son named Jeralt but it’s… it’s too sad.” Edelgard lifts her head to look at the side of Byleth’s frowning face. “I like the name Greil. Or maybe Sothe. I bet Sothis would have liked that one,” Byleth jokes fondly.  
  
“I must pass on any religious names,” Edelgard remarks.  
  
“Oh so then the name I wanted for our baby won’t work. Doesn’t Rhea sound good to you?”  
  
“You think you’re so funny,” Edelgard chides half-seriously. Byleth laughs anyway.  
  
“Sothis really wasn’t that bad, El.”  
  
“So you say,” Edelgard argues skeptically.  
  
“Aw come on.” Byleth locks her fingers with Edelgard’s. “Sothis helped me and all of us out more times than I can count with the Divine Pulse. And she helped me when you would talk to me sometimes too. Though… now that I think about it, she often went to sleep or stopped talking when I interacted with you.”  
  
“Hmmm.”  
  
“I guess she knew you were the rotten egg,” Byleth jests, kissing Edelgard’s head.  
  
“If she did, it’s interesting that she chose not to chide you for your choice on my house.”  
  
“Sothis never directly told me what to do. She encouraged me to do what felt right. I just… had a hard time feeling anything though. So that always complicated things. Gah my ears still ring from all the yelling she did in my head.” Edelgard giggles at that.  
  
“I recall I spotted you whacking your skull a few times back then. Hubert thought you were a lost cause.”  
  
“Well I thought he was weird.”  
  
“That’s your only come back?” Edelgard playfully asks, kissing Byleth’s cheek. “Mm. This is nice, talking like this again. I long for the days of our retirement so we can do so much more of the same.” They lie quietly for a while, running their hands over each other peacefully as they bask in the warm window light that stretches over them and off the bed all the way to the bedroom door. “I must sound like a broken record, Byleth, but I am so grateful you are by my side.”  
  
“And I’ll be here until the day I die,” Byleth tells hers, kissing her head again. “I swear it on the Goddess.” Then Byleth’s heart jumps and she raises a brow. The two settle back into quiet, and Byleth is more than happy to keep lying here if it means Edelgard can rest her body. _This is great. Just doing this with El. Maybe now she’ll finally see what I’m saying about the joys of idling, and she’ll stop working so late into the night. ...Highly doubt that though_.  
  
….  
  
….  
  
_Yawwwwn_.  
  
Byleth pops an eye open, checking on Edelgard. She didn’t move much. She closes her eyes again.  
  
_Yawnnnnnn_.  
  
“Two in a row? Are you tired again, El?”  
  
“Two of what?” Edelgard asks, sounding serious. Byleth furrows her brow.  
  
“You just yawned twice.” Edelgard looks at her very confused. So Byleth looks around the room, assuming one of her mental visitors are popping in or something. No one. Typically she sees her dad once a month, sometimes Shamir or Catherine. It’s been happening less which she and Edelgard are both taking as her mental health getting slightly better.  
  
_Ugh. How long was I asleep?_  
  
Byleth lunges upward, startling Edelgard who grabs at her chest. The wide eyed look on Byleth’s face is one of pure shock that has her jaw flapping.  
  
_Hey…? Byleth? It’s your head I’m in, yes? I thought I heard someone calling for me_.  
  
“Tch! I wasn’t calling you!” Byleth shouts, getting off the bed and pacing the room. “And if I could have just called you back, you would’ve been back already!”  
  
_Don’t nag me, Missy! I am a Goddess! Not some silly Black Eagle who beckons at your every call_.  
  
“Gaaah, Sothissss,” Byleth bleats. At the name, Edelgard feels her forehead compressing, getting ready for a brain churning migraine. _I can never get away from the church can I?_ Edelgard exhaustedly thinks. “Can’t you manifest? Or are you just in my head?”  
  
_Uh. Hmm._ Silence for a second. _I guess I’m weaker now. I can’t leave your mind. I can see through your eyes though_. At that, Byleth looks toward Edelgard who’s still covered up by the blanket and her robe as she holds the bridge of her nose. _Woah there. She got even more intimidating looking._  
  
“She’s not though,” Byleth swears.  
  
_No need to pout at me_ , Sothis laughs, ringing in Byleth’s ears. _She ended up being a crazy emperor though right? Did she marry Hubert?_  
  
“Hubert?!” Byleth balks, and Edelgard looks up. “No she married me of course.”  
  
“ _Of course_ ,” Edelgard repeats with a laugh.  
  
_Oooh she’s kind of cute when she laughs. ...She seems happy._  
  
“She _is_ happy.”  
  
“And I was happier when we weren’t graced by the presence of another divine being,” Edelgard aggravatedly says.  
  
_Well she’s still bitter_.  
  
“Yeah cuz you weren’t there when your _daughter_ , Rhea, tried to kill us.”  
  
_Rhea…? My daughter? That’s…._ She doesn’t elaborate further.  
  
“Ask her how long she’ll be residing in your mind,” Edelgard tells her wife.  
  
_Well that’s a dumb question. The answer is always. I’m a part of you, obviously_. Nervously does Byleth sit down by the emperor, resting a hand on her knee. Edelgard is angrily clenching her fist, but Byleth knows it’s not directed at her. It never is. _Look if this is your wife, and I unfortunately have to be SORT of obedient to your will, I assume you won’t want me to intervene quite so often. For her sake._  
  
“Yes please,” Byleth answers, taking her wife’s fist and cradling it in her hands. “El. Sothis has never made my decisions for me, we’ll be fine.”  
  
“Yes but I still yearn for privacy. Knowing that all of our time together will be monitored by some unseen force just… I don’t like it.”  
  
_That’s fair_.  
  
“I… I’ll figure something out, El. Maybe I can leave her with Rhea at Garreg Mach.” Now that she thinks about it, that may be perfect. Rhea can finally have her mother again.  
  
_You plan to just drop me off like some lost pup? The nerve._  
  
“I’ve got to figure out how to expel you first, Sothis.”  
  
“I will help,” Edelgard says, almost ready to start this very minute.  
  
“El. It’s alright. I know you trust me. This is nothing big. Sothis isn’t a bad force.” Edelgard’s just so skeptical. She can’t keep the anxiety out of her mind that somehow this will change everything, even if that worry is irrational. But… with Byleth big eyes looking at her so calmly, she tries to just believe it.  
  
“Ok, Byleth. I will let it go for now.”  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slightly vulgar Edelgard in bed is hot and a really sweet Byleth is even hotter... let's be honest. I've got two weeks of the semester left and I have five paintings to get done (so pardon me because I'm going to stab my eye holes and then I can't post for a while). No but really, if I miss a day of posting, it's cause I'm drowning in watercolor and oil paint (throw some clay in there too, just pile it on).


	5. Chapter 5

  
Days go By:  
  
“Alrighty, Lysithea. Ready to go see everyone now?” Lysithea, sitting in front of a grand mirror that’s decorated with elaborate eagles etched into the wood frame, finally finishes tying a section of her hair back. She holds her chin high, taking a breath as she stares into her own rose pink eyes. Claude’s standing behind her, smiling cheekily as he rests a hand on her lower back. He hasn’t left her side in a week, hugging her when she’s in pain, brushing her hair when she can’t sleep, and bringing her countless Empire-only sweets that she could never dream of affording. _He’s been perfect _, she thinks to herself with a smile. And smiling, she does it so much more now, even when she’s in so much pain that she’s crippled. But there’s a weight completely lifted from her shoulders now. She glances at the second deadly crest, set in a small wooden box surrounded by black velvet, recently taken out of her body. Lindhart intends on keeping it for study, but he insisted that she hold on to it for now, “So long as you don’t go chucking it out a window,” he half-joked.  
  
“It’s funny how such a tiny little thing could do so much harm,” Lysithea laments, twirling a piece of her hair around her fingertip.  
  
“Makes sense. You and Edelgard are pretty tiny yourselves. And you guys can take on anything,” Claude states confidently, squeezing her hip and making her squirm. He grins at her squeaking yelp.  
  
“No tickling, Claude!”  
  
"Yeah yeah," he says, straightening up. "Now are you ready to head out?" Lysithea, standing up somewhat nervously with fingers tapping against her thigh, approaches the door as well. She takes a breath and pushes the door open. Claude happily rests a hand on her back yet again, and they start their walk, being careful of their speed as they go. When they turn down the hall however, Lysithea's mouth drops in surprise.  
  
"E-Edelgard!" She squeaks. The second the emperor, walking at Byleth’s side with her hand in hers, spins on her heel, Lysithea books it. "Ah, Professor too! I've missed you both so so so much!" She was just about to throw her arms around Edelgard with all of her force before awkwardly stopping herself, skidding on the floor and almost falling backwards before two different hands grab her forearms. "Well that was embarrassing," she mumbles, blushing hard.  
  
"We've got you," Byleth says through a smile.  
  
"Just as always," Edelgard agrees, smiling honestly as well. Lysithea's heart pitter-patters in her chest, especially when Edelgard beckons her closer and opens her arms.  
  
" _Edelgard _," she sings, rushing in for the hug she wants so badly. They embrace with the affection of two people who have known each other for years, and in her mind, Edelgard wonders if that sacred necklace from her closest sister would suit this girl just as well. Perhaps that would be best, making the harsh memory sweet again. _Hmm _. They hug for a long time before finally pulling away, still holding each other’s arms until their fingers brush and there’s nothing left to touch. "I'm so happy you're alright," Lysithea sniffs, and Byleth pats her shoulder affectionately.  
  
"As am I in your case," Edelgard remarks. "It seems you have a ring. So Claude is your choice after all." Claude steps up, rubbing the back of his neck as he grins proudly.  
  
"Yep, that's my ring alright."  
  
"I swear he's been sweet," Lyisthea tells Edelgard who’s eyeing Claude rather concerned. "And he's not always making those stupid jokes anymore."  
  
"My jokes were never stupid."  
  
"Yes they were," Lysithea and Edelgard blurt. Claude sinks down and Byleth bites back a smile. The loud creaking of the hallway’s door has everyone’s heads turning. Out comes a pack of Golden Deer.  
  
“Professor! Lysithea!” Ignatz cheers. Behind him, Raphael towers over him, and with his booming voice, he goes,  
  
“Hiya little sis the second!”  
  
“Grrr. I’m NOT little, alright?!” Lysithea barks. Leonie comes blowing past the two men, staring right into Byleth’s eyes.  
  
“Ah. If it isn’t Captain Jeralt’s daughter.”  
  
“And she has a name too,” Claude inserts, shaking his head as he throws an arm around his best friend. Edelgard’s just rolling her eyes, imagining if Hubert were here bearing witness to these people not even greeting the emperor and then walking all over the carpets with slightly dirtied boots. A familiar pale blue head of hair, being completely hidden behind Raphael’s large body that’s barreling towards a weary Lysithea just murmurs out a,  
  
“Hello.”  
  
“Hi Marianne,” both Claude and Lysithea greet. Suddenly both Edelgard and Byleth are realizing these hallways are far too narrow to be having all of these very affectionate people in it. After they share a look of concern, Byleth sneaks Edelgard past the mess of hugging and shouting all while Leonie’s incessantly nagging at Byleth for a new duel.  
  
“Thank the Gods Lorenz isn’t here,” Claude wheezes, being hugged to death by Raphael who’s lifting the shorter man off the ground as everyone laughs at them. Edelgard pulls at Byleth’s sleeve when she sees the empress smirking into her fist.  
  
“Just you watch,” Byleth whispers to her wife, walking her towards the hallway door before it swings open dramatically as Lorenz makes his grand appearance.  
  
“Ah. It is I, Professor! So good to see-- _Ugh _. Is that Claude I spy already?” Raphael roughly sets the Almyran down before Lorenz stalks his way over with Byleth smuggly looking over her shoulder. Claude sees her and shoots daggers her way with his lips reading as, _YOU. ARE. DEAD. _  
  
“How about we leave them to it for a second? We’ve got our own friends to meet with again, my heart.” Edelgard smiles gently and links her arm with Byleth’s.  
  
“I can hardly wait.”  
  
Minutes Later:  
  
“HEYYA PETRA!” Caspar comes sprinting down the hallway, armor and all, before Dorothea jumps in front of him with a hand on her hip. He comes to an abrupt and… shaky halt, nearly flying forward with all of his earlier momentum.  
  
“You only greet my lovely wife and speak none of me? The nerve, Caspar!”  
  
“Oh uh, heh.” Caspar rubs the back of his head, scratching his scalp and twitching his leg. “Sorry, friend. I uh. I just missed my old training buddy,” he awkwardly mumbles.  
  
“Oh you are too cute,” Dorothea sings, pinching his cheek until he swats her away like a bunch of gnats.  
  
“Dorothea you are making him redder than when I make you red,” Petra says, getting closer to Caspar who easily forgets everything and goes in for an abrupt hug. “Ah yes! This is what I am most familiar with when it comes to greeting in Brigid. I missed you too, Caspar.”  
  
“Ah Petra,” he sniffs, hugging her with the strength of a bear. She pats his back and smiles into his shoulder all the while. Moments later, the door to the thirty-seat dining room opens, and Ferdinand and Bernie come in holding hands.  
  
“Hey Ferdie!” Dorothea greets. “Oh Bernie! You’re looking fabulous! Is that _makeup _I spy on your face?” Bernadetta groans and Ferdinand pats her head.  
  
“Well you see, I-I thought it made me look older. Which is good….”  
  
“--Until you realize you’re too old,” Manuela cuts in, walking in behind them with all of the sass in the world as her hips shake with every loud step. “And then when you’re too old, you’ll just never find yourself a man.”  
  
“Manuela!” Dorothea snorts. “I see that my favorite lady,” she leans into Petra’s ear, “Besides you of course, sweetie, are still single and hurting?”  
  
“Expect nothing less,” Manuela sadly jokes, hanging her head as she approaches with open arms for Dorothea to jump into. Which she does. Seconds later, Hanneman, Hubert and Lindhart stroll in, discussing the surgery for the thousandth time. Even Lindhart is tired of it, and that’s saying something. As soon as he spots purple and brown hair, his eyes lock on.  
  
“The Queens have arrived. ...And everyone else. I think I’m satisfied now. I’m gonna go take a _nap _,” he groans, moving towards a bench on the far end of the dining room by the lowly burning fireplace.  
  
“Everyone,” Hubert speaks up, voice deep and authoritative. “I’m warning you now; the Golden Deer have all arrived, and they are approaching from the far end of the West wing.”  
  
“Hubie, why are you talking like this is an attack strategy?” Dorothea asks, rolling her eyes.  
  
“Because it could easily become a…” he holds back on the word “bloodbath,” and chooses, “ _Altercation _. I thought I might give a warning that we must keep things civil for the sake of the emperor.”  
  
“Uh,” Caspar starts, naive as always, “I’m pretty sure it’s just you and Edelgard who would be having problems with them.” Hubert frowns and crosses his arms.  
  
“I know not what you mean. We’ve already achieved our goals.”  
  
“I am not having understanding,” Petra adds in, waving a hand. “Why would you think Hubert and Edelgard would not want them here?” Lindhart, from the very back, says,  
  
“Because Hubert and Edelgard can be grumpy. I say it's from a lack of sleep.”  
  
“Well they can also be scary,” Bernie murmurs. Of course Ferdinand jumps in with a shake of his fist and says,  
  
“Well if that Lorenz Hellman Gloucester is here, Hubert and Edelgard, and ME of course, should kindly get him out of--”  
  
“--Oh stoppit Ferdinand! This is about poor Lysithea too,” Manuela asserts, wagging a finger at him. “If she wants the Golden Deer here, then they should be here.”  
  
“For once I agree with her,” Hanneman remarks cheekily, fixing his monocle.  
  
“...You are all as foolish as ever,” Hubert darkly states, being ignored by everyone. He only sulks for a moment afterward. Perched against the wall nearest the exit, Hubert watches with a faint grin on his lips. _You have done well, Professor. They’ve all grown closer because of your presence. And now, as we all age and go our own ways, we still feel as unified as ever. ...Perhaps I am glad Edelgard took a liking to you after all. _Then he hears footsteps approaching. Two pairs. They’re heavy and determined. He grins wider, opening the door as he bows before them. “Your Majesties.”  
  
“Hubert,” Edelgard responds fondly, needing to say no more.  
  
“Edie!” “Professor!” “Ah, my rival!” “Emperor Edelgard. Hello again.” “Heyya Edelgard!” “Yawwwwn.” “Hi Byleth!” “Professor. Edelgard.” “We were supposed to be forever alone together, Professor!”  
  
All of the Black Eagles crowd around the emperor and empress with huge smiles on their faces as they bombard the two with questions that all demand elaborate answers here and now. Byleth finds herself stuck on Edelgard, staring at her with a heart that’s still fond just as it was years ago. Only Dorothea notices the indigo eyes lit up from the inside out. She doesn’t say a word, just silently wraps her arms around her own wife that makes her feel just as good, and hums with her eyes closed as the chattering continues. Noticing Petra and Dororthea swap a quick kiss, Byleth starts to yearn for the same, but she knows better (last time she tried kissing Edelgard in front of their friends she got a slap on the wrist and embarrassedly dismissed from the bedroom for the night). Though she will never understand why Edelgard allows them to hug or hold hands in front of everyone (but she’s not complaining). Slyly does Byleth slip her hand into Edelgard’s, and she figures she’s the only one to notice the slight stutter in Edelgard’s response to whatever question she’s being asked. Her heart soars at the sweetness.  
  
 _You are so soft _, Sothis complains. Byleth grits her teeth for a second.  
  
 _Am not _, Byleth argues.  
  
 _I mean… it is kind of nice seeing the band back together. Dorothea got even more pretty somehow. Hubert’s Hubert. Ferdinand and Bernadetta though. Weird. _  
  
 _I think it makes sense _, Byleth defends, squeezing Edelgard’s hand a little and pointing at the crowd of Golden Deer walking in.  
  
 _Gah! Where’s my popcorn?! This may turn out to be real entertaining seeing all of these goofs in one room. _Byleth just promptly ignores her and waves for everyone to come closer. The Golden Deer do so quite skittishly.  
  
“We don’t bite,” Dorothea laughs, trying to sound as friendly as can be. “Well unless Her Majesty says to.” The Black Eagles grin amongst themselves, but Marianne, hiding behind Lorenz’s back, just whimpers out,  
  
“Is that supposed to be a joke?”  
  
“Yeah we have a bunch of comedians here,” Claude insists, walking with Lysithea in the lead.  
  
“Lysithea,” Ferdinand hums. “It is so good to see you well at last. I am glad to be in your presence once more!”  
  
“Yeah… you too,” she responds unenthusiastically, which only he doesn’t notice, continuing to prattle on to her.  
  
“Hey Petra,” Raphael calls out, stumbling forward with Ignatz by his side. “You still climb trees?”  
  
“When I like to have quiet time, yes. Have you gotten better? Have you Claude?” Claude groans and Raphael smiles widely.  
  
“You bet I have! I also really wanna eat that dish you made me one time! Ya know, from before the war.” At the word “war,” a few members of the group go quiet; namely Leonie and Lorenz, who look at the empress with so much guilt and resentment. Byleth shivers.  
  
 _Yikes _, Sothis says. I’ll be your emotional support.  
  
 _It’s to be expected _, Byleth says back, shrugging it off.  
  
"Lunch is to be served in mere moments,” Hubert announces, bowing slightly as he motions his hand towards the long crimson decorated table with cutlery already set out. Raphael and Caspar are the first ones seated.  
  
“Fancy Empire food,” Raphael rasps, nearly drooling on the napkin he’s already stuffed into the collar of his shirt to protect his buff chest. Caspar leans over and whacks him on the shoulder in a friendly way.  
  
“You can just bet this is gonna be the best food you’ve ever swallowed!”  
  
“Ugh,” Dorothea disgustedly says, tapping Petra’s arm. “Let’s sit on the opposite end of the table. Or else we’ll be seeing wayyy more than we want.” Petra, wanting nothing more than to sit by her best friend, sadly nods along with her wife and walks far far from Caspar. Ferdinand chuckles under his breath and says,  
  
“Hah! She’s whipped.”  
  
“Ferdie,” Bernadetta calls out happily, “Let’s sit by Ignatz.”  
  
“Anything you say, my love!” Claude rolls his eyes at that and heads towards the top of the table where Byleth, Edelgard, and Lysithea are. The second he sits down, Leonie plops down right next to him. He raises a brow at her in surprise. And then it clicks once he sees her eyeing the empress.  
  
“Pssst! You better behave,” Claude whispers.  
  
“Yeah yeah,” Leonie sighs, already looking pouty as she picks at the tablecloth. He spares one last reprimanding glance at her before lunch is served. It’s kind of amazing how peaceful it all is, with all of the people within the two old houses intermingling and finding their niche. That is, it’s all good until Lorenz coughs and asks for Edelgard’s attention.  
  
“I know this may be the wrong time,” he begins, already rubbing Edelgard the wrong way as she sips on her drink, holding Byleth’s hand under the table. “Yet I find the trek here hard… considering such brutal memories,” he mumbles. All three of the old professors share equally nervous looks. “I understand the idea of unifying Fodlan… but having nobles’s territories stripped away? You could not believe the repercussions it has caused amongst my family and the commoners in our town alike! Is there really no way to give us property back?” Before Edelgard can even speak, Ferdinand interjects.  
  
“I can speak as someone who opposed her ideals at one time. So I can tell you why you are wrong.”  
  
“Tch. I implore you and the Majesty both to come visit mine or Claude’s or--or even Ordelian territory and you will see that--”  
  
“--Is this really the time, guys?” Claude holds his head in his hand as he says this.  
  
“There will never _be _another time!” Lorenz argues aggravatedly. He roughly pushes his chair back so he can cross his legs and shake his foot to calm himself.  
  
“If you would just calm yourself Gloucester,” Hubert starts, using his louder voice when he needs to put someone in their place.  
  
“ _Lord _Gloucester,” Lorenz insists, and Dorothea rolls her eyes hard. “You may have stripped us of our titles, but I assure you us nobles will never be--”  
  
“--If your problems are so important,” Hubert cuts in again, slicking his hair back in defiance. “Her Majesty is more than fair, and will speak with you when asked to be spoken to.”  
  
“Yeah,” Lysithea interrupts, just trying to stuff her face with the cake sitting in front of her and move on from this ridiculous conversation. “This _really isn’t _the time.”  
  
“For real,” Raphael manages, swallowing down way too much food at once with Caspar doing the same at his side. “Everyone’s just trying to have a good and hearty meal.” And to nearly everyone’s surprise, Marianne, picking at her peas, quietly says,  
  
“Everyone but Hilda.” Her eyes close immediately after, and Claude’s fist resting on the tabletop clenches painfully. All of the Golden Deer go silent, ducking their heads in respect to her. Byleth’s neck is burning, and she drops her head as well, trying to scratch the anxiety away with cold fingertips. She can see it all over again, just like in her dreams. Byleth was the one who dealt the final blow once Hilda charged at her and made it clear she wasn’t backing down. Even though she had no choice, Byleth’s always hated what happened, especially because she knows just how close she and Claude were (and that’s always been one of the heaviest unspoken issues between them). It’s been fun Claude. Byleth’s body breaks out in goosebumps.  
  
….  
  
“I still can’t believe you betrayed Captain Jeralt like that.” Every single Black Eagle’s head snaps up.  
  
“ _Leonie _,” Claude hisses, frantically shaking his head and looking between her and Byleth whose eyes are blown wide. Leonie herself looks on the verge of tears as she snarls at the empress. “Do you think he would have been happy with what you did? I think not! He would never have--”  
  
“--Who do you think you are?” Dorothea defends gruffly, taking her voice to a deeper place than it’s been in a long, long time.  
  
“E-Even Bernie thinks that’s cold,” Bernadetta stutters. Ferdinand is gritting his teeth by her side, trying to even fathom how someone could say that to the empress of Fodlan, let alone his professor. Still Leonie doesn’t back down, and she’s clearly growing agitated at Byleth’s lack of response as her heel begins to tap the floor. Lindhart is sitting by Marianne, watching as if he doesn’t care (even though he’s actually growing antsy at the shifting energy in the room).  
  
“I really don’t think it’s right to talk about the empress’s father like that,” Ignatz intervenes, trying to keep his shuddering voice even.  
  
“Captain Jeralt once told me that peace is what he fights-- _fought _. Fought for,” she corrects, shaking her head angrily. “If you had just joined our side--or even the Church’s--All of the damage you did would never have been as irreparable--”  
  
“--Just stop,” Byleth pleads. The room goes quiet. “Stop talking about _my Dad _.” Leonie’s lips twitch, and her eyes gloss over as Byleth stares her dead on. “I think it’s great that he had such an affect on your life, but you talk to me as though you know everything about him.” Byleth’s jaw slackens as she freezes up, trying to repress the images of that awful night. The knife in his back. The way her tears dripped down onto his face. Only Edelgard, squeezing her hand to get her attention, pulls her out of it. With the strength of Edelgard beside her, Byleth can keep going. “You think it hurts _you _when you remember he isn’t there? Imagine me, getting engaged, getting married, having a child at some point…. All things Dad will never see.” Edelgard shuts her eyes, breathing heavily out her nose as those things sink in.  
  
 _Byleth _… Sothis says softly. _I’m still so sorry I couldn’t save him _. Byleth says nothing as she tries to hold back whatever emotion is burning inside her chest and clawing at her throat. For some reason, she’s caught off guard when Leonie sniffs into her hand and covers her eyes. _SCRRRR! _  
  
“I just wanted you to be my teacher,” Leonie rasps, clearly on the verge of sobbing as her breath hitches. “I wanted to be just like _you. Dammit! _” She sprints out of the room with Ignatz hurrying after her. The silence in the room after that is pregnant with discomfort.  
  
“...I am sorry to have caused this,” Lorenz mutters with a hand over his heart. “I should have kept quiet.”  
  
“ _Yeah _,” Claude agrees curtly. “You shoulda.” Lorenz sighs in repentance. “Listen guys. The war is over. What’s done is done. No matter what, we all got away with our lives. Besides… my goals and Edelgard’s were never that different.” He looks up at Edelgard who looks back at him with matching sincerity. “We all agreed that the unification of Fodlan was necessary to broaden ignorant minds. We just had different ways of doing it. _Very _different.”  
  
“I appreciate that, Claude,” the emperor acknowledges, keeping her chin high. “I promised you before, and I can promise you now that your ideals and mine will continue to make history. Everyone here can agree that we strive for a better future that becomes clearer each day, bit by bit. Let us not let the past, however brutal it may be, hold us back.” She looks each of them in the eyes, one at a time. “Please trust me now. And if not me, then believe in the truthfulness of our Professor.” Claude nods Byleth’s way, looking like the proud best friend he is.  
  
“Your Majesty,” Marianne speaks up, “I believe in you. And the Professor too.”  
  
“Thank you,” Edelgard hums.  
  
“No, thank you,” Lysithea says, inching her hand closer to Edelgard’s that’s gripping the edge of the table. Her eyes are telling Edelgard to relax. She’s on Edelgard’s side, so Edelgard believes her, letting go of the wood that was groaning subtly. “You saved my life. Both of you. And you did so again just this week.” She turns to Claude this time, “And thank you for holding out for me.”  
  
“Trust me. I’m so so happy you’re with us.”  
  
“Cheers are in order,” Hanneman offers, glass already held high.  
  
“It seems so,” Manuela agrees with a hum.  
  
“Heh. Our academy days may be over, but here’s to the best house,” Claude chuckles. “Cheers to the Golden Deer!”  
  
“I think you mean the Black Eagles,” Edelgard asserts, holding her glass and clicking it with Byleth’s, who’s grinning along with her.  
  
“Screw it,” Caspar laughs. “Cheers to the Black Eagles AND The Golden Deer, yeah?!”  
  
“Yeah!” Raphael shouts. Everyone toasts at once with smiles on their lips.  
  
Late Evening:  
  
Most of the guests have already gone back to their rooms for the night, but Byleth, Edelgard, and Lysithea chose to stay where they were out in the garden. Sitting under a candle lit gazebo with sweet tea in front of them, they couldn't ask for a better way to end a series of physically grating days. For the better half of an hour, the three have stayed silent, just enjoying the stars and letting the tea soak into their taste buds. Byleth leans back, balancing on two legs as she taps her middle finger on her thigh and retreats into her mind just like old times.  
  
 _Hey Sothis? _  
  
 _Hmm? What is it Byleth? _  
  
 _I missed you _, Byleth says internally. The amused noise Sothis makes is the only response she gets for a while.  
  
 _I suppose I can admit that I missed you as well, you lovable fool. _Byleth grins, brushing a piece of hair out of her face as it blows around in the breeze. She passively realizes that Edelgard and Lysithea are talking to one another. _Is Rhea truly my daughter? _Byleth straightens up a little.  
  
 _During the war Claude stayed with the church for a while, demanding some answers. Turns out I have your heart in my chest. _  
  
 _What the heck…? _  
  
 _Exactly my response… right after I fainted _, Byleth says.  
  
 _Heh _! Sothis chuckles. _I can see it. And then Edelgard would go freaking out and everyone would start panicking and trying to slap you awake. Haha! _  
  
 _...Not sure that’s how’d it go, but I’m glad you think it’s so funny _, Byleth sighs. Lysithea glances at her. _Rhea took over my body a few months ago. _  
  
What?!  
  
Yep, Byleth hums aloud at the memory and tips her head to the side. _Remember the Death Knight? He joined us during the war… and when Rhea took over my body… I… I killed him _. Byleth rubs the bridge of her nose, closing her eyes and seeing him there on the ground all over again. When she breathes in, she can almost smell his blood. _He was a friend, just like so many others that I… _  
  
 _Byleth…. _  
  
“Hey, Professor?” Lysithea calls, waving her hand slightly. Byleth blinks back into reality and comes face to face with a very worried Lysithea and a half-aggravated wife.  
  
“Hey.”  
  
“Uh, you alright? Your eyes are looking a little red there.” Byleth turns her head away, pretending to be looking at some bush over there.  
  
“It’s nothing,” she tries, just to be kicked in the shin by Lysithea. “Ow.”  
  
“At least lie better.”  
  
“Hmm,” Edelgard hums in humor, setting her cup down and observing Byleth closer. Byleth can’t hold contact with her, because those lilac eyes are way too piercing right now.  
  
 _That girl still always seems to know something you don’t. _  
  
 _You aren’t wrong _, Byleth admits with a shrug.  
  
“Fine fine. I’ll drop it,” Lysithea decides, playing with her bangs. Seconds later she wrinkles her lips and looks at Byleth once more. “T-there’s something I ac-actually wanted to um talk to you about,” she coughs, shimmying in her seat.  
  
“What’s wrong?” Byleth immediately asks, growing gravely serious. Lysithea goes slightly pink and furiously rubs at one of her cheeks.  
  
“Aaaah, I hate when you look at me like that! You’re looking right through me it feels like.” Completely straight, Byleth asks,  
  
“Want me to close my eyes for you?” Edelgard snickers and so does Sothis. Lysithea just looks slightly offended as usual.  
  
“Of course not,” she barks. “Sorry.”  
  
“Don’t worry about it,” Byleth says, leaning on the table with her head in her hand. “What’s wrong, Lysithea?” The girl bites the inside of her lip and kicks her foot back and forth before speaking up.  
  
“It’s about Claude.”  
  
“If he’s done even one thing wrong to you, consider him dead,” Edelgard warns.  
  
 _Are you sureeee she’s softened up? _Sothis asks worriedly.  
  
 _She has. She just likes to act tough in front of everyone else. _  
  
“I wouldn’t say _that _,” Lysithea giggles, “It’s just I’ve never d-dated someone before I don’t really know what to expect. Guess I should have set down the philosophy books and picked up some dating ones, huh?”  
  
“Expect? Nothing happens as expected,” Byleth retorts honestly. Lysithea’s lips tighten up, so Edelgard jumps in.  
  
“Byleth’s not wrong. No matter how much we plan things, they will never go accordingly when it comes to romance. Though… it seems as if you’re regarding something specific. What is it you really mean to ask?” As if building up the courage, Lysithea whimpers in the back of her throat, then she starts bobbing her leg up and down, shaking the entire table, and then she smacks a hand on her thigh with a mighty FWTT!  
  
“I don’t know anything about sex!” Both Edelgard and Byleth sinks backward in their seats as Sothis busts out laughing. “H-How am I supposed to do it and when and where and will I even be good at it or like it or--”  
  
“--Pretty sure you’ll like it,” Byleth mumbles. Edelgard hisses at her and Sothis laughs louder.  
  
“--But when will he ask, or do _I _ask? I-I don’t know! And it’s not like I can ask my parents, because that’s just weird,” she reasons, covering her eyes with one shaking hand. Byleth and Edelgard look back and forth between each other, awkwardly gesturing towards each other and then their friend as they try to figure out what to even say. After a big sigh, Edelgard decides to take the plunge. To recapture Lysithea’s attention, she leans over the table and touches her tight fisted hand.  
  
“It only feels scary because you aren't in an intimate situation right now. I promise you, once it happens, and the mood is right--"  
  
"--And when both of you can talk about it while it's happening," Byleth adds.  
  
"Then everything will fall into place," Edelgard finishes, trying to nod sympathetically. Lysithea stares down at Edelgard’s gloved hand holding her own, and lets out a shallow breath.  
  
"You’re right," Lysithea relents, looking up at her closest friend and seeing nothing but reassurance on her face.  
  
"And I'm sure Claude will be pretty good," Byleth comments offhandedly. Lysithea's face goes red and she groans into her tea.  
  
"Byleth, hush," Edelgard tells her with a shake of her head.  
  
"You can't act like that's not part of it; worrying it won't be good." Lysithea limply nods in agreement but keeps quiet. "Anyway, you two will most likely be waiting a while. Don't feel pressure to do anything. And if he tries to pressure you, come to me. Not El. She might murder him."  
  
"I will." Lysithea grins at her friend's words then. "On a different note, will you come back to our room for a moment? There's something I want to give you," the emperor says.  
  
"Oh?" Lysithea squeaks accidentally before clearing her throat and standing. "I see. I'm pretty tired anyhow so may we go now?" Byleth and Edelgard look at each other in agreement and stand up.  
  
"You two go ahead," Byleth says, gathering up the dishes and waving off Lysithea's help. "I'll take care of this. Just enjoy each other." Edelgard presses her hand to her wife’s chest and freezes before she has the nerve to kiss Byleth’s temple in front of the younger woman who just smiles at the sight.  
  
"Thank you, love."  
  
"Anything for you, El." Lysithea whimpers on the inside. _Gosh they are just so cute together! _Her stomach does happy little flips until Edelgard’s finger beckons her onward.  
  
Once they finally get to Edelgard and Byleth’s chambers, and the door shuts with finality, Edelgard hurries towards her tall vanity and has Lysithes sit down at the satin stool before it. Without saying a word, Edelgard fishes out the velvet necklace box Byleth found and gifted her two weeks past. She stares at it in her hands with a pensive look on her face, and Lysithea worriedly looks up at Edelgard, but doesn't dare interrupt.  
  
….  
  
"I only had one sibling of the ten that I ever felt truly close to," she begins, not looking at anything but the box in her gloved hands. Lysithea's ears perk up, acknowledging how rare this is for Edelgard to be admitting anything of her past. "On Byleth and myself's anniversary, my wife found something of my sister's greatest treasures." _Pop _.  
  
"Wow…" Lysithea remarks. The diamonds in it shine in Lysithea's wide eyes. The younger woman focuses on the "E" hanging off of the chain.  
  
"Her name was Elincia," Edelgard tells her, speaking in a raspy sort of way that one does when the memory hurts as much as it soothes. "She was… hmm." Edelgard shuts her mouth, trying to keep down the emotion that's bubbling in the pit of her neck. Lysithea's eyes make it harder, because they're looking up at her, encouraging and innocent with one of her small hands quite obviously wanting to touch Edelgard but holding back. "I just… have come to realize that I've somehow found myself a new family. And… and you’re one of the pillars in it." Lysithea drops her head and bites down on her lip. "This is my way of asking you to take this. You don't even have to wear it. And… perhaps you can take the "E" off, seeing as it stands for her name and all."  
  
"Why would I take the ‘E’ off when ‘E’ stands for ‘Edelgard,’ and y-you're like, um." Lysithea shakily sucks in a breath before standing up, looking right into Edelgard’s face as she gently takes the box into her own hands. "S-sometimes I feel like you're my sister," Lysithea sniffs. Edelgard narrows her eyes in a loving way, and for once, doesn't hesitate in touching someone who isn't her wife. Her initial pat on Lysithea's arm spurs the younger woman into launching at Edelgard, trapping the box in between them as she hugs Edelgard with all of her power. It makes Edelgard smile just as it does mortify her, having someone pressed so closely to the body she feels so much repulsion for in her everyday life. "I love you," Lysithea breathes bravely, hugging Edelgard’s neck somehow tighter. Those three words steal away all of the oxygen in Edelgard’s lungs, and she stares dumbly at the wall for five belated seconds.  
  
 _Admit that you feel the same _, comes a voice in her mind. It sounds familiar. Familial, more like. Edelgard blinks. _Don't let moments like this slip away anymore, El _. Edelgard knows who that voice belongs to now. Her eyes shut, and she quietly thinks of her sister's long past face.  
  
"I love you too," Edelgard says aloud. Then she wraps her arms a little more firmer around Lysithea's waist. "I love you too, Lysithea." Edelgard smiles at the little whine that rumbles against her shoulder. They pull apart soon, and Edelgard tenderly brushes loose bits of Lysithea's bangs out of her eyes. They stew in the silence of the moment before Lysithea yawns into her palm. "Off to bed with you," Edelgard urges, guiding the young woman to the door. Her heart soars melancholily when Lysithea almost smacks into her back because she's staring at the necklace so hard.  
  
"Sorry! It's just so pretty. I've never had something that even had diamonds in it."  
  
"Well now you do."  
  
"Yeah," Lysithea sighs dreamily. She takes one backward step from the room, looking at Edelgard as she goes before asking, "What color was your hair?"  
  
"...Brown."  
  
"Mine was black," Lysithea tells her. "Goodnight, Edelgard."  
  
"...Goodnight."  
  
Shttt.  
  
Edelgard carries herself to bed with heaviness that only speaks of the relief she feels. She doesn't bother to change out of her dress yet, instead just lying back, closing her eyes with her ankles crossed. _Elincia. El. I hope I've made you proud _.  
  
Shtttt.  
  
"Hey El?"  
  
"Byleth."  
  
"Why did Lysithea just attack me in the hallway? I've never been hugged so hard in my life," she coughs, scratching at her throat. Edelgard smiles, still with eyes closed. She can feel the pressure on the bed as Byleth removes her clothes and tosses them at the foot of the bed.  
  
"I gave her my sister's necklace." She can tell Byleth paused. "I'm so glad she's alright," Edelgard mumbles, frowning deeply. Byleth makes a noise from the back of her throat and gets into her pajamas.  
  
 _Hey Byleth _, Sothis cuts in. _I can tell you really don't need me around anymore. _She sounds quiet, upset even.  
  
 _That bothers you? _  
  
 _...It does, _Sothis tells her. _I guess I'm just far more lonely than I ever thought I was. _Byleth buttons up her top, gazing at Edelgard who's still lying down, thinking and thinking. _Seeing you today, talking to everyone, paying attention to your wife, making sure people were happy… you've grown. I'm happy, and sad. I feel like I've missed a huge part of your life just within the past two years. _Byleth huffs out of her nose, agreeing in her own way. _It seems that Edelgard really takes care of you too. It's sweet. Maybe I don't have to be so worried. _  
  
 _We take care of each other _, Byleth tells Sothis, sitting down by Edelgard’s feet. She can't help but reach out and run her hand along her wife’s leg, keeping it soft and appropriate. _But thank you for what you've done for me Sothis. I don't take it for granted. _She can hear Sothis's toothy grin. _I'll take you to Rhea soon _.  
  
 _I'm nervous _, Sothis bleats. _I've been trying to think of what I'll say to my, my daughter after all this time. _  
  
 _You can figure it out together _, Byleth says, nodding for Sothis's sake. _She’s missed you like nothing else _. The Goddess hums, and Byleth can imagine her scratching her chest in thought.  
  
"My light?" Byleth looks down at her wife who’s eyes are finally opening and staring back at her. "Will you help me change? My chest is hurting slightly."  
  
 _Look away _, Byleth orders Sothis.  
  
 _Fine, fine. But don't start doing any FUNNY business! I'm not tired yet! _Byleth rolls her eyes and stands up, pulling Edelgard with her until the shorter woman stumbles into Byleth, pressing a hand against her chest. Of course Byleth uses this to her advantage, wrapping an arm around Edelgard’s waist before taking one of her hands and holding up midair. With a chuckle, Byleth starts swaying, forcing Edelgard along.  
  
"Byleth this is not the time for dancing," Edelgard laughs, going with it anyway. Although it's hardly a dance when they're almost toe to toe, shuffling around on the floor. Byleth just twirls her dramatically before pulling her back in for a chaste kiss. Edelgard hums against her mouth, interlacing her fingers with the hand holding hers up. There's so much safety in the arm wrapped around Edelgard’s hip that any of her exhaustion just dissipates and eases into relaxation. After a few more slow circles of their feet, Edelgard slumps against her wife’s chest, breathing in her rose-like scent, and enjoying the meditative movements.  
  
"I love you," Byleth breathes against her ear. Edelgard nuzzles her cheek into hers and hugs her closer with both hands on Byleth’s upper back.  
  
"I love you so much," she says back. The soothing breathing next to her ear pushes her even deeper inside herself. Soon she feels Byleth’s hands unclipping her cloak and tossing it off to the side before working on the ties of her bodice. A kiss to her jaw tells her to lean back, to which she does, and Byleth helps her step out of her dress and hangs it. Slowly does Edelgard get to her dresser and fish out her long, collared and full sleeved nightgown, carelessly putting it over her head. The second she pops up, no cloth covering her head, she's pulled backward into Byleth’s arms, and she embraces those arms with her own.  
  
"I'll undo your hair," Byleth offers, lips against the side of Edelgard’s neck. Edelgard hasn't worn her crown for the past few days, and it feels incredibly freeing, not carrying all of that literal and metaphorical weight for more than a night. Still, she's a creature of habit, and she puts her hair into those tight constricting buns.  
  
"Alright. Thank you, my light." Quickly does Byleth make easy work of them, being well practiced at this point. It's almost funny how Byleth still drags her fingers through her hair once it's down, as if she's transfixed with the soft locks just as she was the very first time she touched them. It’s that infatuation, that endless admiring Byleth still has for her no matter how long they've been together that sets Edelgard’s heart to a thousand-beats-a-minute. It’s from silly things like that, to how she looks at her when they lock eyes from opposite ends of a hallway, to how she embraces her at the end of a long brutal day of work. "You're something special, Byleth."  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"You look at me just as you did so long ago. You still haven't tired of me."  
  
"Of course I haven't. Have you gotten sick of me?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Then that's that," Byleth finishes easily, lifting Edelgard off of her feet and carrying her to the bed.  
  
"...You don't have to carry me like this," Edelgard complains dryly.  
  
"I want to. Just like I want to kiss you right now." She sets the emperor down with all the grace in the world (surprising for someone as brash as Byleth) and pulls the covers over them both. "May I kiss you?"  
  
"When have you had to ask?"  
  
"Mm."  
  
They kiss until they fall asleep.  
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


	6. Chapter 6

  
Dorothea and Petra left early in the morning with plenty of hugs to go around. Ignatz and Marianne took off, looking closer than ever; they muttered something about going to see some sort of view where Marianne can sit by his side while he paints. Leonie and Lorenz left only after apologizing profusely to the emperor and empress (each apology was easily accepted). Raphael’s sticking around for a while longer since he and Caspar claim they have to at least train together one more time for the road. Ferdinand and Bernadetta get back to their duties around the palace with little complaint (apparently Bernadetta’s been commissioned to make a boatload of new uniforms for the staff). Claude and Lysithea are staying at the palace for a while longer since Lysithea’s still slightly unwell and shouldn’t be traveling in this flu-inducing weather anyhow. Lindhart, Hanneman, Manuela, and Hubert are heading back to Garreg Mach, and this is when Byleth breaks the news to Edelgard that she’s going with them.  
  
“I have to reunite Rhea and Sothis,” she tells Edelgard who’s sitting out in the garden under the marble gazebo just like last night. “I’ll be back soon. Tomorrow evening I hope.”  
  
“Are you going to look into other things....?” Byleth tilts her head, trying to remember what she--Oh she’s got it.  
  
“I will,” Byleth tells her.  
  
_What other things?_ Sothis asks.  
  
_We want to have a kid._  
  
_What?! You?! I don’t know about that_ , Sothis laughs off. Byleth frowns and puts a hand on her hip. _Hey don’t get all upset. I’m just saying… you’re not the brightest cookie in the world when it comes to other people. I just uh... worry, I suppose._  
  
“You look peeved,” Edelgard points out, leaning forward in her seat as she looks up at the empress.  
  
“Sothis is just being annoying.”  
  
_That’s rude_.  
  
“You’re the one being rude,” Byleth retorts aloud, sighing aggravatedly. Edelgard gestures for her to say more. “Nothing El. I’m gonna head out now. Claude and Lysithea are going to be around if you need them at night. And don’t you dare try to work on any paperwork! Ferdinand will scold you.” Edelgard sighs and rubs her temples. _I just want to be useful again_ , she thinks tiredly. _I will have so much work to catch up on_. Byleth turns on her heels, burning her soles on the cement, before Edelgard goes,  
  
"Halt. Were you going to leave without even kissing me?" Byleth sheepishly walks back to her wife and then throws herself into Edelgard’s lap like an oversized dog. Her and Sothis can’t stop laughing at the horrible squeak of surprise that startles the woman watering bushes a few feet away. “You’ve ruined this I hope you know.” She kisses Byleth anyway. When the emperor finally seems like she’s going to pull away from the empress’s mouth, she doesn’t; instead, she grabs Byleth by the collar of her crimson cloak and presses her lips against Byleth’s ear. “Even if it’s four in the morning, I expect you to be ready to make up for lost time with me when you return.” Byleth actually shivers. Sothis gags.  
  
Garreg Mach:  
“Lovely chatting with you again, my sweet friend.” Manuela gives her a very strangling hug, with Byleth just about drowning in cleavage before the professor takes off, shouting something at Hanneman as he scurries away. A group of students to Byleth’s right are loudly gossiping around one of the many dining hall tables. The empress ducks her head, just trying to eat her steak as more and more people start gawking at her. She’s used to it though.  
  
“...Isn’t that the Professor Byleth?”  
  
“She ain’t a professor anymore man. That’s an Imperial lapdog now. Empress Byleth.”  
  
“Bud shut up! Her wife is--”  
  
“--Insane,” comes another brash girl’s voice. Byleth huffs at that, cutting her meat more aggressively. Kkkk. Shtt. “I heard the emperor even wanted to lock the old archbishop up. That sounds like torture to me.”  
  
“Yeah but who cares? The church doesn’t mean squat now. And I mean… we’re all at this school to become great fighters. The Empire is why we fight.” Byleth tips her head to the side, eyes on her plate.  
  
“Speak for yourself,” the brash girl says, shoving something on her plate with a loud screech. “The emperor took everything from my family. You should see my brother now… I can’t even afford to buy him a stuffed bear on his Birthday next Sunday. Some Empire, taking everything away from us nobles.”  
  
“Hmm,” is all Byleth says out loud. Though you’d think she just stood up, pointed a stern finger at their group, and cursed them out, because all of the kids over there became as pale and quiet as ghosts. Only then does Byleth glance upward out of the corner of her eyes. Their wide eyes are ruining her meal. She drops her fork and knife and rests her head on her fist, looking at them again. “You’re allowed to have your opinions. Though, you better have the skill or knowledge to back up your dispositions. Being critical needs to be counterbalanced by being tactically brilliant, or some other equally valuable skill.”  
  
_I see you’re going into professor mode_ , Sothis comments, probably grinning.  
  
“....”  
  
“Would any of you like to sparr?”  
  
“Tch! With _you?!_ ” asks the brash girl, looking confident again. Her pink eyes and black hair seem familiar somehow. It’s odd.  
  
“Um, she’s the hero of Fodlan…” her friend whispers, pushing his glasses up his nose as he awkwardly sniffs nothing.  
  
“Even more reason to fight her,” the girl goes. Byleth chuckles, standing up with her plate. The kids look at her oddly, as if an empress shouldn’t be bothering with something as trivial as bringing a plate to the sink.  
  
“Then I’ll meet you at the training grounds in twenty minutes.” Byleth walks off, and everyone’s eyes in the entire dining hall are on her again. She doesn’t pay it any attention, and she takes off towards the merchant, greeting the gatekeeper as she goes.  
  
_That girl was vile_ , Sothis scoffs. _You’re not going to actually fight her, are you?_  
  
_I am_ , Byleth replies, nodding at the merchant who’s flattering her with praise for her work during the war all over again. _Though I expect she’ll only last one hit. The fight isn’t what this is about._  
  
“I just want one teddy bear. Thank you.”  
  
“My pleasure, Your Majesty!”  
  
_Ahhh. I seeee. You’re proving a point._  
  
_If things go right, yes_ , Byleth replies. As she rounds the corner, teddy under her arm, with only ten steps to go before she reaches the training gate, something wet goes flying through the air, right in front of her face. She stops dead in her tracks, and when the thing goes SPLTT on the cobblestone, she realizes it was spit. Sothis audibly gasps at that. Byleth says nothing, turning to the smug looking boy who’s leaning against the wall on the opposite side of Byleth’s old dorm room.  
  
“Empress freakin’ Byleth,” he snarls, balling his hands up into shaking fists. “I came here from Faerghus. Can’t believe you married the woman who killed what should have been our king.” He stalks his way towards her, his brown eyes darken with bags that emphasize his miserable gaze. Byleth stands her ground, completely stone faced. “Trust me when I say that Faerghus, the Alliance, all of the places the emperor has taken will one day rise up and claim what we deserve.” He chuckles, and it’s then that Byleth realizes how close to Hubert this foul-mouthed boy is. He even has the black hair that covers half of his face. Byleth hums, putting a hand on her hip. Of course he looks put off by her basic reaction. “What? You aren't going to even retort?”  
  
“No. I’m not.” He blinks at her. She blinks back.  
  
“...You’re not going to lecture me about how I should pledge my allegiance to the Empire, and drop on my knees and ask for the emperor’s forgiveness?” She just shakes her head no, and he raises his voice as he asks, “You won’t even tell me that I’m wrong? Wha--What kind of lapdog are you?!”  
  
_That ‘lapdog’ thing again_ , Sothis starts, sighing. _Why do they think that?_  
  
“Why do you consider me to be a ‘lapdog?’” He glares at her, shoving his hands in his pockets as he hunches like the immature pouting teenager he is.  
  
“Cuz you’re under the Empire.”  
  
“That’s it?” Byleth asks seriously. He raises a brow.  
  
“Yeah. I… what do you mean? I... “ For once, he seems to be pondering what to say next, and he scratches his head frustratedly when nothing comes up. “I don’t get you! You don’t even seem like an empress! Aren’t you supposed to be all haughty and authoritative?”  
  
“Edelgard sought to make Fodlan a place where status means nothing. That’s part of the reason I joined her; I came from nothing, and worked my way up through my battle strategies and usefulness. I’m not an empress. I’m just Byleth von Hresvelg, formally named Eisner. I’m just the person who married her for love, not because of anything else.” The boy’s face, once etched of venomous anger, transitions to one of confused interest. “She and I are equals, and I’m not a lapdog, just as Edelgard isn’t a dictating heartless husk the public sees her as outside of Enbarr. She’s a person. She’s my person. And if you or any of the residents of Faerghus have issues, come talk to her sometime. Maybe you’ll work something out.” With that, she leaves him with a nod and heads into the training area. He stares at her back as she disappears behind the doors, his jaw slightly hung.  
  
“...What is she doing?” he wonders to himself, mindlessly chasing after her.  
  
Inside the training grounds, specs of dust float around the air and cause Byleth to choke up for a second. She’s missed this place regardless. The girl and her friends are already there, distractedly swinging their swords around as practice. Byleth hides the bear behind a pillar and smiles when she sees the brown-eyed boy walk in behind her before he slips into a shadowy corner of the audience stands where a few other students are. The whole place goes quiet as the empress walks out into the light and grabs a splintered wooden sword off of the rack. The black haired girl smirks and swings her axe around one-handedly. The girl’s already off to a bad start, using an axe against a sword.  
  
“Are you practiced with lances?” Byleth asks her. The girl chuckles as she answers,  
  
“Yeah of course. I can do it all.”  
  
“Mm. Pick one up then.”  
  
“Alrighty,” she goes, shrugging and grabbing a lance off the rack. She gets into a sloppy looking position with her hands far too close together at the middle of the lance. Byleth shakes her head and clicks her tongue.  
  
“Distance your hands. And your feet. You may lose balance that way.”  
  
“I know what I’m doing,” she mumbles embarrassedly with a pink tint to her ears. Byleth raises her sword into position and watches the girl’s face as she becomes less and less confident. A few cheers for the empress from off on the sidelines agitates the girl, and her eye twitches. “Can we do this now?”  
  
“Mm.” Byleth nods to a boy standing behind her. “Please count down from ten in three, two, one.” Byleth lunges forwards and the girl jumps slightly in the air out of surprise before carelessly thrusting her lance, missing Byleth by a large margin. By the time the boy counts down to six, Byleth’s blade is hovering over the girl’s pulse point. A few kids laugh from the stands while others go, THE HERO HERSELF! DID YOU SEE THAT?! Byleth doesn’t say anything, lowering her sword. The girl in front of her tightens her lips and whips her lance at the group of kids who were laughing. They all squeal before jumping out of the way. DFF-TTTK! Byleth notices the boy from earlier frowning with his arms crossed over his chest, just a foot away from the now damaged bleacher.  
  
“LIZA!” he roars. Her eyes widen before she tenses up, shoulders nearly touching her earlobes. She refuses to look his way. “Is this all you’ve learned?! I’ve never seen such a careless noble.” Her friends who were standing behind her look between each other, mumbling about just taking off already and leaving this mess to Liza.  
  
Some friends, Sothis huffs.  
  
He starts making his way towards Liza and Byleth with heavy footsteps that bounce off the walls. Liza’s lip trembles, but she stays quiet. When he comes into the light with eyes flickering mad, her friends skirt out of the way and head out in a flash.  
  
“Brother… you’ve scared everyone off again.”  
  
“Good. They should fear our family name.” Liza sighs, and he cocks his jaw in distaste. “Speak your mind,” he orders. Byleth clenches her teeth. She doesn’t like his tone.  
  
“It’s nothing,” Liza answers, running her fingers through her hair. He puts a hand on her shoulder, silently telling her to look at him.  
  
“If we aren’t winning. Then we’re nothing. If we ain’t nobles, we’re nothing. You know this!” Byleth clears her throat and leans her sword over her shoulder nonchalantly.  
  
“All of us start as nothing. The whole point of living is to make yourself something. Someone. Do you agree, Liza?” The girl’s lips part in surprise at hearing the empress utter her name aloud.  
  
_Seems to me that as much as she hates you for your title… she actually looks up to you for what you’ve done. Call it a hunch_.  
  
“Y-yes.”  
  
“Who teaches you your battle technique?” Byleth asks.  
  
“P-Professor Manuela.”  
  
“Mmm. I will ask Shamir to teach you everyday this week, one on one, for an hour. You will learn a lot from him.”  
  
“Really?!” she excitedly asks. Her brother huffs, repulsed by the way Liza’s bouncing on her heels. “I--That would be a dream to learn from someone who fought during the war near the front lines!”  
  
“I’m glad you think so,” Byleth hums. “And you. What’s your name?” The boy glares at her as he mumbles,  
  
“Hector.”  
  
“Heh.”  
  
_Too fitting _, Sothis goes. Byleth agrees. The boy’s frowning deeper, upset she dared to chuckle at him.  
  
“Do you do dark magic?”  
  
“That’s my specialty,” he remarks proudly, adjusting his tight gold collar on his neck.  
  
“I will ask Hubert von Vestra to teach you something of his own.” Hector goes pale.  
  
“...The headmaster… speaking to me personally?” He contains himself within seconds, clearing his throat and folding his hands behind his back. “...I see.” Byleth nods and walks over toward where she hid the bear.  
  
“Heads up,” she warns, tossing the bear at Liza who catches it easily. The siblings stare at the bear with a question in their eyes. “Happy Birthday,” Byleth says, smiling gently before exiting.  
  
….  
  
_Dfff_.  
  
….  
  
“Maybe the Empire isn’t so bad if people like her are a part of it,” Liza tries, handing her brother the bear. He looks around, ensuring that they’re completely alone before pressing the soft white body against his face.  
  
“Yeah sure,” he says, sounding muffled with his face buried in bear fur. Liza grins, staring off into the place Byleth left from. _I think I’m right. She really wasn’t too bad, huh?_  
  
Later On:  
  
Byleth’s been wandering around the cathedral, listening to Sothis and responding out loud every now and then. There’s not a single person here in this side of the monastery. It’s so bizarre, though it makes sense. Edelgard’s reign has heaved Fodlan out of the religious crib the country got so used to. Out is the repression of an exaggerated Goddess, and in is the time of idealism and enlightenment. Honestly, having been a victim of the church’s influence without even asking for it, Byleth can support this shift to knowledge. With Ferdinand and Hubert’s push for education, Garreg Mach is the first among many places that has gone from church, to school, open for the public at a minimal cost that changes depending on income level. It’s… complicated, but Byleth can at least understand that much.  
  
_Hey._ Sothis timidly calls. _Where’s Rhea?_ Byleth assumes if she’s not in the cathedral, she’ll be by the Goddess Tower, or maybe she’ll have to head back to the old archbishop room.  
  
The closer they get to the Goddess Tower, the more quiet Sothis becomes.  
  
“Are you alright?” Byleth worries aloud, touching the long handles of the Tower doors, tugging them open. Sothis doesn’t answer, but Byleth can feel her presence and her worrying, because it’s causing Byleth’s skin to feel hot for no reason that’s her own. The empress pushes herself up the stairs, feeling her breath quicken the closer to the top she goes. She can hear humming. Byleth moves faster, taking two steps at a time as if she’s being summoned. In reality, she’s pretty sure it’s Sothis who is, because her heart feels like it's slowly being yanked out of her chest towards the sky.  
  
_Bfbfbfbfbfbf!_  
  
She gets to the landing with a huff, stomping hard. When she lifts her chin, she sees Rhea, standing under the stainless window that takes the place of a ceiling, with the light pouring down on her majestically. She seems… more transparent than last time. Still, Rhea's whole aura brightens when she looks at Byleth.  
  
"Ah. I'm so glad you've come to see me once more." The soft padding of her feet almost hypnotizes Byleth before she's being touched on the arm. It sends ripples of electricity through her whole body, and both her and Rhea react to it with a breathy sigh that catches between them. Rhea looks at her curiously, wondering why such a small touch even had such a strong effect after all this time. And here comes that desperate feeling inside Byleth again, the one she always has when Rhea is near, where she has an itch to just hold her or grasp her hand or anything. She doesn't do it though.  
  
"Sothis is inside me again," Byleth says bluntly. Rhea’s jaw literally drops. "She wants to talk to you."  
  
"O-of course! I-I--." Rhea brushes her hair back, trying to collect herself as she nervously paces for a second or two. "I can expel her from you if she wishes so."  
  
_You want this, right?_  
  
….  
  
_I do,_ the Goddess answers curtly. She doesn't sound so confident however, and Byleth wrinkles her lip. _I'm just… nervous again._  
  
"She wants you to," Byleth says to Rhea, who's positively beaming now with a hand over her heart.  
  
"Yes! I will--Let us take to the Holy Tomb. I finally know what needs to be done."  
  
"Uhhh," Byleth unenthusiastically follows behind Rhea who's leading ten steps ahead. "The Holy Tomb…. This won't be a repeat of last time, will it?"  
  
"No harm will come to you. I only want to expel her spirit, much like my own has left my physical being."  
  
_How'd that happen?_ Sothis asks.  
  
_She turned into a dragon and we killed her_. Sothis bitterly laughs.  
  
_Geez you killed my daughter._  
  
_She literally tried sacrificing me to resurrect you in my body_ , Byleth comments boredly.  
  
_…That’s a bit much_ , Sothis murmurs. Byleth just nods with closed eyes. Stepping into the Holy Tomb again feels wrong. It's one of the only places the Empire didn't fix during the war when the Strikeforce stayed at Garreg Mach. There were a lot of bitter memories for everyone here in the Tomb, so Edelgard dismissed it unless Lindhart begged her to go in and check things out. The smell of blood from long past, from Edelgard’s forces pushing some of Rhea’s knights back for their escape still smells strong. Byleth just wants to get this over with quickly, and she picks up the pace. Rhea has her sit on the throne again, but instead of just watching, this time Rhea gets on her knees before her and starts praying.  
  
"Byleth this means… so much to me," she whispers, voice full of emotion. Byleth rests a hand on the top of Rhea’s head, and the ex-archbishop looks up at her with overwhelmingly teary eyes that Byleth wants to dry off herself, though she doesn't.  
  
_B-Byleth!_ Sothis panics. _I feel awful. Hot and… why do I feel hot?_ Byleth’s brow furrows.  
  
"Sothis says she's feeling hot." Rhea’s eyes clear up and widen.  
  
"It's working then. I hope this doesn't hurt you much more, Mother! I will do this swiftly. Take my hand, Byleth." The empress does, and their touch feels just as electric as before. The two groan and shake their heads before Rhea starts mumbling something again.  
  
_You ok, Sothis?_  
  
No answer. Byleth feels anxiety biting at the back of her neck. A sharp spike of pain like a jagged arrow piercing the back of her skull has Byleth gritting her teeth, refusing to let out the shallow cry festering at the back of her throat unleash. Her eyes shut tight , and she vaguely recognizes Rhea’s hands holding hers before everything goes numb.  
  
….  
  
And then the weight of a boulder comes crashing down on her.  
  
“KKT--Nrrgh!” She’s sinking in the chair, feeling the pop of every bone starting from her feet and slowly, painfully, extending up to her ribs. They audibly cracked in her ears and vibrated her throat that’s beginning to close in around a gutteral shout. Her hand is being squeezed one more time, too tightly, before she feels lips against her forehead, and her eyes pop open to the sight of green hair and pale skin.  
  
“You’re alright,” Rhea whispers, breath ghosting across her temple. It finally occurs to Byleth that she’s gripping the side of Rhea’s shoulder for dear life, and she lets go as though the touch is molting hot. Rhea pulls back, looking slightly offended before--  
  
“Now this is something.” Both Byleth and Rhea look at each other with wide-eyed wonder before Rhea spins on her heels and has her jaw drop. There’s Sothis, standing on two feet in all of her short glory. Rhea stumbles down the steps of the Goddess’s throne and Sothis grin grows bigger by the second before Rhea falls to her knees before her mother that she has longed to see since--since forever it seems. “I’m sorry I left you,” Sothis softly tells her daughter, reaching out and putting her hand on Rhea’s head. That simple touch is all it takes for the dam in Rhea to burst.  
  
“ _Mother!_ I--” her whole body rocks with its sobbing, and she holds herself within her twiggy arms before Sothis bends at the knee and embraces her child. They sit like that for a long while as Byleth slowly comes back to herself, steadily trying to stand up on her own two feet. “I’m sorry for being so weak,” Rhea rasps, clutching at her mother’s arms. “I’m sorry I allowed myself to be led astray for so long. I-I wanted to be with you again. I need you still.”  
  
“Mmm.” Sothis glances up at Byleth who’s trying her best to walk down each step without tipping backward. “While I resided in that child’s mind, I forgot myself; I… forgot you.” Rhea’s lip trembles at that, so Sothis runs her thumb over it before reaching under Rhea’s chin and tipping her head upward, brushing away tears with her other hand. “But coming back to a part of myself like this now, I remember everything.” Rhea looks up at her with a bright, hopeful gleam in her eyes. “And I’m still upset at you for breaking my fishing pole.” Rhea hisses at the memory, but chuckles nonetheless.  
  
“You like fishing?” Byleth asks, suddenly appearing at Sothis’s side. Sothis looks up at her, frowning slightly.  
  
“Well yeah! And I hate that you are so much taller than me now!” Rhea hums, smiling as she wipes at her eyes, standing at her full height and towering over her mother, who’s suddenly sulking with her arms crossed over her chest. “How cruel.”  
  
“Mother, you made me this way to fight for you when it was necessary. If you’d prefer, I’ll kneel or sit when in your presence.”  
  
“That’s a bit much,” Sothis coughs, shaking her head. “I hope you don’t turn out to be as obedient as this one.” She flicks Byleth’s ear and the empress blankly stares at her. “At least react! I know you’re capable, you big fool!”  
  
“....”  
  
“Urghhh,” Sothis sighs, rubbing her temples. Rhea chuckles, a light and airy thing that she hasn’t done in so long. For a moment, Rhea just looks at Sothis, taking in all she has to offer as memories come flooding in, renewed as though they’d just happened. It’s nostalgic without feeling like it’s gone or lost; familiar without being sad in any way. She wonders if she’s ever felt this happy as her heart beats a mile a minute beneath her breast.  
  
“We should all go fishing,” Byleth says, pulling Rhea back into reality. Sothis looks at her with narrow unimpressed eyes.  
  
“Now you’re just mocking me,” Sothis claims. “Neither my daughter nor I are physical beings you realize? How are we supposed to hold a pole?”  
  
“But you touched me and her,” Byleth offers, shrugging. The two beside Byleth look at each other.  
  
“I’ve found that I can manifest touch for short bursts of time. But only if I feed off the energy around me,” Rhea says, tipping her head to the side. “If you would like to fish, Mother, we can try. Though we should go somewhere private. It would look bizarre for two poles to be standing in the air, yes?” She chuckles quietly imagining it.  
  
“Off we go then,” Byleth decides. Sothis grabs her by her crimson cape and stops her in her tracks.  
  
“That takes time and you have a wife to return to.” The fixing glare she sets on Byleth makes the empress duck her head. A true doting mother this Goddess can be with her finger held up in the air and wagging. “I would hate to continuously be the bane of Her Majesty’s existence any longer. So go. Now! Don’t keep her waiting.” Byleth shoots her a weary almost misty-eyed look that reluctantly pulls on the Goddess’s heartstrings. “Give me no such look, you pest. I… already miss you. Please just make this easier by going away now instead of later.” Rhea watches on in awe, covering her mouth with the back of her thumb. _They’re so close_ , Rhea thinks to herself somewhat bitterly. _Such relaxed posture Mother has in Byleth’s presence says so much that I’m sure Byleth cannot recognize. A shame_.  
  
“Ok. Bye So--”  
  
“Ah ah ah. Don’t say that b- word! It’s… too final. Just leave! Hurry up, already!” Byleth grins at her feet, waving to Rhea and Sothis before swiftly walking toward the faraway exit. She can feel Sohtis’s warm gaze on her the entire way, and she pushes past the massive ancient doors with a heavy heart.  
  
_I’ll see you again, Sothis_.  
  
_You better_ , Sothis responds. Byleth knows the Goddess is holding back tears, though she doesn’t look back. Once the heavy doors shut with a massive echo, the Goddess’s shoulders slump.  
  
“You love her, Mother?”  
  
“...How can I not?” Sothis answers, putting a hand on her hip as she inspects her other hand. “She’s like my own child. She’s a part of me.” Rhea nods, eyes downcast, only to be yanked up when Sothis snaps her fingers. “No use being jealous,” Sothis jests, pinching Rhea’s cheek now.  
  
“Mother, please,” Rhea huffs.  
  
“There’s no reason to be jealous when we are both here and have all the time in the world to catch up now.”  
  
“I would love that,” Rhea breathes, putting a hand over her Sothis’s. They sit at the bottom step of the long staircase that leads to the Goddess’s very throne, and they glance up at it, fixating on the warm glow it casts over their skins. As time ticks by, Rhea shifts in her spot, feeling uneasy by the weight of all of her past choices. Everything she did, she did for her mother; yet those decisions over time became so tainted by anger and disdain. She knows her mother would never have approved were she to know the truth of it all. Though just as Rhea remembered her to be, Sothis knows everything she’s thinking now.  
  
“Rhea. Be at ease. Allow yourself this at last,” Sothis says softly, putting her hand high on Rhea’s back. “You have worked so hard for my sake, and not your own.”  
  
“I did such horrible things,” Rhea breathes raggedly, wrinkling her dress with her fingers digging in mercilessly. I became a monster, using all of them, all of Fodlan. I felt so inhuman, so inhuman until I saw her. Her and her green eyes and hair like mine. Then I used her, too. I… I’m sorry for it,” Rhea bleats, dropping her head low.  
  
“Those are all mistakes you will not make again,” Sothis tells Rhea, patting her on the back to lift her head, to which Rhea does limply. “Now you will go through the hardest trial.” Rhea stiffens up, but she’s ready to accept whatever judgment or torture or-- “You must learn to forgive yourself and forgive Fodlan.” Rhea’s eyes pop open, and she stares at Sothis who’s smiling at her with a relaxed gaze and a cock in her hip as she stands up. For whatever reason, such a simple thing sounds scarier to Rhea than facing a horde of soldiers in battle alone. She knows she’ll have to reach inside herself and pull out all of her deepest regrets to do such a thing… and that’s… so much. She trembles.  
  
“I don’t know if--”  
  
“--Nonsense! You can and you will.” Rhea bites her lip, holding back her rebuttal. “Come now, Rhea. Show me all of the things you’ve done for this land.”  
  
“But th--”  
  
“--No buts!” Sothis huffs, putting both hands on her hips. “We have time, do we not? I expect to be entertained at least.” Despite it all, Rhea chuckles to herself and fixes her hair behind her ear. After years, to be chided by her mother again, it’s nearly an elaborate joke.  
  
“We will see it all as you wish, Mother.”  
  
Hubert’s Room:  
  
The head of the school roughly pushes a letter into Byleth’s hands. She blinks at him and he rolls his eyes.  
  
“There’s your spell. I’m sure you’ll have fun using it,” he jokes gruffly, smiling at the ceiling. “Knowing Her Majesty, you will have little time to spare once you step foot in Enbarr. She takes what she wants, yes?”  
  
“It’s disturbing how willing you are to joke about our sex life,” Byleth mumbles. “Out of all the things to make you laugh, why is that always it?”  
  
“...So I won’t be bitter about losing her to you,” Hubert admits. They both look at each other with subtle surprise that he so easily spoke his mind. He hums in thought, offering her a chair in front of his well-used chess board where all the pieces are moved in a way that makes Byleth wonder if he often plays alone. “It’s interesting how my mouth seems to flap mindlessly in your presence. It’s… somewhat concerning I must say.”  
  
“Why?” She fixates on the chess pieces, looking for any openings. Hubert seems to notice, and he steels up his expression, leaning back in his chair until it balances on just two legs. “I think it’s a good thing to open up to someone. You never do so with Edelgard.”  
  
“Of course I don’t.” He’s watching Byleth’s eyes, flickering around the board as her head tips to the side. Internally he admits that she looks rather cute but he would NEVER say so aloud. “The emperor is my superior, and that comes before friendship.”  
  
“What about you and I?” Byleth asks, reaching out to a piece, and Hubert cringes until she pulls her hand away, bringing her fist up to her chin. “You don’t treat me as a superior even though I’m her empress.”  
  
“Are you suggesting I treat you more like a friend?” He grins at the thought, picking at the tip of his gloved thumb. Byleth touches her knight, and Hubert shakes his head in displeasure. “What are you going to do with that? I set this board up so no opponent could ever--” Byleth moves the knight, taking out the pawn protecting the king. Hubert grits his teeth as she smirks at him. He stiffens up before moving one of his pieces and taking out her knight. “Foolish.”  
  
“How about this?” She takes out the piece that took out her knight. Hubert grows irritated, feeling a heat at the tips of his ears that urges him to take her down immediately. He refuses to lose. They start going back and forth, battling, taking out piece after piece until the two are neck and neck, and he grows more and more pleased, realizing this will be a battle of wits now. Surely he can’t lose. Until he does. “Checkmate.”  
  
“Ridiculous,” he growls, slamming his fist into his thigh. Byleth chuckles, putting her hands behind her head as she leans back in her chair without a hint of smugness.  
  
“Good game, friend.” Friend? Hubert cocks his brow. There she goes with that word again. “Why are you scowling, now?”  
  
“I’m admiring how silly you are,” he replies, smirking out at the view from the window beside them. It’s getting dark already. Hubert likes the fall quite a bit for that reason alone. He feels so comfortable without the sun beading down, suffocating him with its warmth.  
  
“I don’t think it’s silly to consider you my friend,” she goes.  
  
“Of course you don’t, you were _bred_ from idiocy.” Byleth chokes out a laugh, admiring the art of rudeness Hubert so often indulges in. He looks back at her, smiling just faintly. “In all seriousness, my skepticism of you has faded entirely. I’ve come to rely on you, just as Her Majesty has. Obviously.”  
  
“What changed your mind?” Hubert bites his tongue, finding the words.  
  
“Your devotion to her. You almost blindingly followed her every step until you came into your own. It… reminded me of myself,” he tells her, failing to meet her eyes. “I still love her.”  
  
“I know,” Byleth says.  
  
“...I’m sorry,” Hubert chokes, hating the words falling from his mouth.  
  
“It’s alright,” Byleth shrugs, tapping the table so as to get his attention. He sort of reminds her of a nervous puppy, wondering if their owner still accepts them. She finds it rather endearing. “How could you not love her once she lets you in.”  
  
“You think she has let me in?” he asks, waving a hand.  
  
“Of course she has. Only you and me. It says a lot about how she feels about you, Hubert. I have no doubt that she loves you back. Just in a different way than me.” Although the words bring comfort to his chest, they also welcome back a familiar ache; the kind he often felt when in the presence of Edelgard alone, when she would wistfully speak of the professor she was already enamoured with. He remembers the way her face would soften, the way she’d hold a hand over her heart without thinking. He remembers being so jealous that he had to abruptly leave nearly every time Edelgard so much as spoke Byleth’s name. So desperately, even up to the final hours before she and Byleth married, he wanted Edelgard to run into his arms and say his name with the same foolish grin on her lips. Yet it never happened; and he’s thankful for it deep down, because,  
  
“She is happy now,” he says aloud, smiling gently at his foot that’s swaying over her crossed knees. “More than anything, I have wished for her happiness. And if you make her happy, so be it.” Byleth smiles at him, he smiles back.  
  
“Besides Claude, I think you’re my best friend.” Hubert groans at that and shakes his head tiredly.  
  
“...Fine.” Byleth’s gesturing for him to say more, and he groans again, more bitterly this time. “Fine you’re… my best friend aside from Her Majesty.”  
  
“Was that so hard?” Byleth asks cheerily.  
  
“Yes. It was.”  
  
After the two eat dinner, having a quiet feast out in the gardens, he helps her pack up her belongings and hooks it all onto the wyvern (Claude’s actually). He offers her a hand and boosts her up, and once she’s comfortably sat upon the saddle, Hubert bows his head.  
  
“This was somewhat pleasant,” he says, folding his hands behind his back. “You make sure you read that spell carefully now. And I better be the first to know when she is indeed carrying.”  
  
“Don’t worry Uncle Hubert.” He pales at the name. “I’m sure Edelgard will tell you right away.”  
  
“Go on now. I will hear from you soon, I’m sure.” With a nod and a smile, she pulls at the wyvern’s lead, and it sets off lightning fast with a cry of excitement. As she soars through the sky with wind flapping her hair about, she wonders how Sothis and Rhea are. _I’m sure they’ll be spending lots of time catching up. Hundreds of years is a long time after all_. Then she thinks of Edelgard. _I hope her heart’s ok. As eager as she is for my return, she has to be well or I won’t be giving her anything she wants._  
  
It’s a good thing that once she does arrive in Enbarr, half past one in the morning, Edelgard is wide awake.  
__

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright so we tied up some plot from the first part of this story, and now we're moving on.


	7. Chapter 7

  
"Ok. Well. Here I am," Byleth announces with an embarrassed cough, rubbing the redness out of her face to no avail. Instead of saying anything, Edelgard drags her hand down Byleth’s abs and under the sheets, stroking Byleth's new appendage with a jerk of her wrist. "H-hold on," Byleth wheezes, digging her fingers into the sheets with all of her might. She's only been in their room for ten minutes and already the spell's been cast and Edelgard has her stripped down to nothing. Edelgard definitely wasn't lying when she told Byleth she was ready for this the second Byleth stepped inside the palace the other day.  
  
"Does it hurt?" the emperor asks. Byleth can hardly see Edelgard in the darkness of the room since the candle is lit so far away. She wants to rectify it, but when she tries getting off the bed, Edelgard pushes her right back down on her back. "The dark may be best tonight," Edelgard says quietly.  
  
"Why?" Byleth asks as she blinks and prays her eyes adjust better to the dark. Getting to see her wife is what Byleth always looks forward to in moments like these. Edelgard shifts under the covers next to Byleth and reaches for the button holding up a part of her nightgown. _Snk_. The silky fabric slides over Edelgard’s skin, and Byleth doesn't hesitate to reach out and run her fingers over the emperor’s spine. "El. Why does it have to be dark?"  
  
"This is new." Edelgard leans forward, tickling Byleth’s cheek with some of her loose hair. "I'm nervous." She leans down, kissing Byleth for a minute. "And the darkness will force us to rely on our senses. I want to cherish the feeling of you inside me, spilling into me, making me yours in such a true way." A hard shiver wracks the empress’s body, and the odd feeling of her fleeting yet half-hard penis twitches along with her. She groans as she looks down, noticing the slight bulge pressing against the crimson sheets. Edelgard looks as well, and she’s chuckling under her breath. "I must say, I'm very excited for this nonetheless."  
  
"I've been thinking about it a lot today, too," Byleth admits, trying to shake off any nerves that are creeping up her back. _Stop being nervous. It’s just Edelgard_. You know, Edelgard, who's never touched a penis before yet is dragging her hand up and down it like a champ. It has to be because of her lack of experience with such a thing that Byleth’s whole body is twitching every time Edelgard hits the base and then slightly presses into the head with her thumb. "Kk! _Nn-enrgh!_ El h-how are you--Nnff."  
  
"Byleth…" Edelgard sighs, lovingly looking into what she can see of Byleth’s eyes. "I absolutely love you. I promise I will give our child everything I am; that no tragedy will be forced upon their life." She starts tugging gently on the penis, and Byleth jerks roughly up into it. The emperor slowly leans forward, asking her empress to rest on her back. In awe, she eases the blanket down Byleth’s body, finally catching a glimpse of the simple biological part that’s going to change their lives forever. With a hint of hesitance, she ducks her head closer to it, glancing back up at Byleth who’s watching her like a hawk (rather, an eagle) before Edelgard brashly presses a kiss to the shaft.  
  
"Shit. El. I--I don't think I'm gonna last that long," she frets, blinking up at the canopy. "Maybe we should just do this quick?"  
  
"Quick? No we're going to cherish this, my light." Byleth whines in disagreement, and Edelgard continues unworried, kissing the shaft once more. She notices that the head is leaking slightly, and Edelgard reaches into the back of her mind, trying to recall the texts she's read about male anatomy to explain what it even is. In the end she chalks it up to an obvious sign of Byleth’s body being ready, and when Edelgard shifts her hips, she can tell just how much wetness is coating her own thighs, she knows she's ready too. But as she said, she's going to make this last. _I should treat my love for all she's done this past month_ , Edelgard thinks, pushing her hair behind her shoulders. In the moonlight, it shines like something out of this world, and Byleth is attracted to it like a moth to a flame, gently running a hand through it now. "Do you still like watching me touch myself?" Edelgard asks with a faint blush on her cheeks.  
  
"Of course."  
  
"Mmm. Would you like to see me do it now?" Byleth stutters over her words before grabbing a hold of Edelgard’s waist and pulling her up until she's straddling the empress’s stomach. "Excited, are we?"  
  
"Yeah except I can't totally see everything I'd like to in this darkness. Please let me just light one candle, El?" Edelgard presses a fingertip against Byleth’s lips and grins down at her with her own chin held high.  
  
"You'll just have to put two and two together," Edelgard tells her smugly, capping it off with a shrug and a thrust of her hips. They both hum at the feeling of Edelgard’s wetness sliding against Byleth’s toned abdomen. Edelgard grinds against Byleth a few more times before hands brace her hips, urging her to rock faster.  
  
"Make yourself feel good." It makes the emperor swoon, seeing Byleth already forgetting her own arousal for the sake of Edelgard’s pleasure.  
  
"Does this turn you on more?" Edelgard asks, breathing a little harsher already as she presses down hard on Byleth’s abs, trying to get a delicious amount of friction on her clitoris that’s swollen up. "You'll get even more erect watching me do this on your helpless body, won't you?" Byleth whines, digging her fingers into Edelgard’s hips. The emperor can feel Byleth’s forearms flexing, trying to pull her down harder on Byleth’s abs so she can really grind down. It feels so good that Edelgard loses her train of thought for a minute, shutting her eyes before snapping them open. The rustling of the sheets and the creaking of the bed under Edelgard’s knees is minorly distracting. "Maybe I shouldn't let you touch me."  
  
"No!" Byleth hurriedly rejects, and she sits up slightly, forcing Edelgard’s hips to slip down until the length of Byleth’s momentary penis in all of its warm and slightly sticky nature is pressed flush against her aching vagina. The two of them pause, trying to get themselves used to the new slightly off-putting feeling. There's just something so odd about having a completely new part in a place they both know so well. Still… Edelgard experimentally grinds down into it, and Byleth hisses out.  
  
"Did that hurt?" Edelgard asks, slightly concerned as she brushes some hair out of Byleth’s eyes. Instead of answering, Byleth wraps her arms around the emperor’s waist pulling her in until they’re chest to chest, and starts to move her hips up into Edelgard. The gasp that comes out of Edelgard’s throat is genuine. This feels… amazing, she thinks to herself. While the penis isn't unnecessarily long, it is especially wide, and Edelgard has to wonder if this will even be able to get past her opening, or if she's in for a somewhat painful couple of minutes that she won't dare say a word about. But then Byleth’s hands cup her backside, squeeze, and Byleth starts rubbing herself against Edelgard more recklessly, and with every thrust, the head of it gets dangerously close to pushing inside of Edelgard. It's maddening, almost. Edelgard ends up wrapping her arms around Byleth’s shoulders, using them for leverage so she can bounce in Byleth lap. Apparently Byleth really likes how things are going too, because she moans desperately into Edelgard’s ear and drives the emperor even more insane. That on top of the feeling of being rubbed from her clitoris to her taint, over and over again while hearing the immense wetness clicking and squishing between her legs has her face feeling hot in the sort of way that sets your heart beating faster. This feels so. So. So. Good, Byleth. Edelgard drops her head back and moans, just to be cut off by lips assaulting her own. The hair at the base of her skull is being pulled while nails drag down her thighs and a penis continues to get dangerously close to entering her. She loves it.  
  
" _Edelgard~_. I'm sorry. I just--I need you," Byleth groans, flipping Edelgard onto her back seamlessly. The landing is perfect, with Edelgard’s hair fanned out over the bedsheets, and Byleth pressed up between her hips. Right away, Edelgard lets out one big breath and wraps her legs around Byleth's hips, pulling her in with the hopes that in one go Byleth can get inside. Byleth quickly gets down on her forearms, tucking them under Edelgard’s back as her hips rock in and--there.  
  
"Ah! Nnn!" They moan in unison.  
  
"Byleth."  
  
"El."  
  
They stay like that, bodies completely tensed as they take in the gravity of the situation. This scenario should be impossible, they should never be able to be unified like this; It's against all laws, yet here they are. Edelgard has to smile, because for her and Byleth to even be together, it felt like they had to defy fate itself. This moment… they did it themselves, just for them. They're complete. It's everything for Edelgard, and Byleth too. After they stare into each other’s eyes for who knows how long, Byleth’s breathing picks up again.  
  
"I want to be slow," she claims as she suddenly starts fucking Edelgard with the ferocity of a beast.  
  
"NNH!"  
  
"But I can't," Byleth pants, rocking into Edelgard so deep that their pelvis's slap loudly and the headboard crashes into the wall repeatedly. "I'm-I'm sorry thi--hah--isn't soft and romantic." Edelgard’s head presses back into the pillows, and her mouth stays wide open and she gasps for air. Byleth’s never been quite this hard with her--and Edelgard is absolutely obsessed as her hips sporadically try to keep up with Byleth’s horribly off-beat pace that somehow works in all the right ways. Ah Goddess, the stretch between Edelgard’s legs is perfect. She feels so full even when Byleth pulls out dangerously far, just to slam back inside and pound against Edelgard’s g-spot that she loves having grinded into. And as if on cue, Byleth hooks her hands over Edelgard’s shoulders and pulls her down so that her waist can't move an inch so Byleth can just dig as far as she can inside of Edelgard. Edelgard damn near screams in pleasure.  
  
" _Fuck_ , Byleth! I'm--You make me feel amazing," she chokes, throat raw from moaning as Byleth somehow digs even further inside. Offhand she notices that Byleth’s stiff nipples are poking her breasts just above her own nipples and that gets her even wetter. "How are--why are so good to me?! Mmmf!" Every bit of her breath is taken away when Byleth gets up on her hands and starts fucking her fast in a completely new way.  
  
"You--Totally--Deserve it," Byleth answers, breathing so hard that she can faintly taste blood from far down her throat. Dirty talking was never something they did for months into their sex life; and even now, a year later, it's still tame. Nevertheless, the small amounts Byleth would throw in here and there started to really grow on Edelgard, so Byleth finally felt comfortable pushing just a little more. "Just like you--deserve to cu--cum really hard." Edelgard eyes grow darker at that, and she wraps Byleth up in her legs even more purposefully.  
  
"Can't wait--to feel you cum inside me, as well," Edelgard pants, grinning as Byleth audibly sighs in bliss. The headboard starts smacking so loud against the wall, and Edelgard starts to try and think of a way she'll lie about the noise in the morning when someone undoubtedly questions it. Then Byleth growls, and Edelgard’s mind goes blank as the empress pulls out with a somewhat worrying pop and flips Edelgard roughly onto her stomach. Edelgard has to blink to catch up before Byleth drops down on her back and stuffs her face between her shoulder blades.  
  
"Dammit that was way too rough," Byleth worries aloud, apologetically running a hand down Edelgard’s back. And it was. But something in Edelgard absolutely flipped this time. Her stomach drops and she pushes her backside into Byleth’s groin, smirking at the whine the empress slips.  
  
"Shut up and fuck me _right now_ , Byleth." Edelgard would never ever say something so harsh to Byleth outside of this moment, but it feels so grossly right. Byleth agrees, because she automatically gets on her knees and pulls Edelgard’s hips into position before slamming in. "Byleth!"  
  
"No more stopping," Byleth cries out, rapidly pushing in and out of Edelgard with speed equal to that of one of her many fights on the battlefield. And that’s sort of what this feels like to them; like this is the beginning or the end. They have to do this. They need it. They both want it. And they will get it. A sort of throbbing is building up in Byleth’s groin that’s equal parts pleasurable as it is painful, causing her to wince and bury her face against Edelgard’s back. Edelgard’s face down on the bed with her hands pressed flat against the headboard that’s finally stopped its rocking since she's holding it down in fear of smacking her own skull into it. And wow, seeing Edelgard completely weak beneath her just does something for Byleth. She can finally be the one who has every ounce of control while this dance comes to a finale. Both of their bodies are starting to slow down from the exertion, and they curse their lack of crests in moments like these. They never want it to end while also desperately hoping for release. Byleth can feel Edelgard’s insides clenching and spasming around her shaft, and she openly moans at the feeling, just about collapsing on Edelgard’s back without daring to slow down her hips. The new position has Edelgard whining pitifully and spitting all over the sheets because she can't keep her mouth shut for even a second now.  
  
"My light! Please!" Edelgard attempts to jerk up but physically can't anymore. She's about to explode, no doubt. "Byleth give me what we want. Give me our child," she cries, hardly in control of her own jaw that's flapping about. Byleth huffs and puffs as she pushes her body to go that much harder and that much deeper as she wraps her arms under Edelgard, just above her breasts so they can be close again. She loves how Edelgard reaches a hand behind her head, grabbing onto a fistful of blue hair and pulling Byleth into the side of her neck. Edelgard’s heartbeat pounds against her lips. All of a sudden Byleth feels her hips buck without warning and an insane wave of heat washes over her so quickly that she can't make any noise…. Until she bursts.  
  
"El! _Edelgard!_ NNNGH! EL!!!" Her sudden shouting scares the life out of Edelgard before she too feels her mind melt and she's crying out just as loudly, pressing her mouth into the sheets as an attempt to quiet herself. It doesn't work.  
  
Rope after rope of thin ejaculate spurts out of Byleth, and she cries out for every last drop, probably making Edelgard go deaf while she's at it. Never in her life has she cum as hard as she is now. It also just lasts so long that she's almost scared it will never end (although she can't complain). Edelgard’s insides keep milking Byleth for more, greedily sucking up all of the sperm it can. Apparently Edelgard’s entire being wants this, and Byleth can feel every bit of that resolve. A while later, when she's finally let out her last bits of cum, and Edelgard adjusted her hips so that none of it could escape right away, Byleth pulls out. They both hiss at the feeling, and Edelgard does so especially loudly because she can already feel the soreness that will no doubt have her walking funny for a few hours (should she decide to leave Byleth’s arms in bed). Byleth starts laughing, fairly loudly, as her whole body is wracked in shivers and she plops down next to Edelgard.  
  
"That was… just incredible," Byleth laughs, covering her mouth with a hand. Her giggling is contagious because Edelgard weakly goes along with it, her shoulders bobbing as she chuckles.  
  
"It was." Edelgard gets up on her forearms, wincing at the ache in her muscles. Byleth notices right away, ever diligent, and rushes off the bed to find the damp towel she brought in earlier.  
  
"Let me put this under you so all of that doesn't stain the bed."  
  
"Mhm," Edelgard hums, spreading her legs so Byleth can get the cloth under her. It's sweet how the second the semen pours out of Edelgard, Byleth wipes it away along with the rest of the emperor's leftover arousal. "My light. You'll cuddle me, won't you?"  
  
"You don't even have to ask." They both smile.  
  
Three Weeks Later:  
  
"Byleth! Byleth?!" Edelgard frantically rushes through the gardens, clutching her heavy black cloak so as to keep herself warmer in the coming winter wind. Her fingers are stiff as nails already. She wasn't exactly sure where Byleth was but she could only assume the crazy woman was out here in the cold trying to catch a fish or something. "Byle--"  
  
"--I'm here. What's wrong, my heart?" Edelgard feels arms wrapping around her back and she sinks into them. Her entire body is shaking in aggravation and… and fear.  
  
"I'm b-bleeding." Byleth looks down, checking out the emperor’s entire body with worry. Edelgard huffs in aggravation. "Menstruating. I'm not pregnant," she hisses. Edelgard built it up in her head, convincing herself Byleth would be angry at her--that Edelgard’s letting her down completely. But no. Instead Byleth carefully tips Edelgard’s chin up and kisses her softly, with everything she has. When they pull apart, only a breath away from each other’s faces Byleth says,  
  
"I don't care if we have to try every single month for it to happen. Don't let it get to you, El. We'll make this happen."  
  
Days later they try again, frantically grinding against each other on one of the couches in the stargazing room at the top of the palace. Their clothes are thrown about everywhere, and the red and blue stain glass above them does wonders for the already beautiful atmosphere of the mosaic tiled flooring. There certainly are perks to being in a royal palace, though the only reason Byleth even cares in the first place is because it brought Edelgard into existence. And as Byleth presses in as far as she can and holds Edelgard against her with all her might, she prays for this to be the one to get her wife pregnant. Something in her just knows that Edelgard won't be able to deal with herself if her body keeps betraying her wishes. Hell, even the frustrated look on Edelgard’s face throughout the entirety of them doing this proves just that.  
  
"El. Listen to me," Byleth breathes against her ear. "Tell me this is going to be the last time we have to do this." Edelgard’s breath hitches, and she slows down her hips. "Say it out loud. Believe it," Byleth tells her. The emperor’s insides tighten up on Byleth’s shaft almost painfully, yet Byleth continues to push through, tempting their bodies to finish sooner. She waits ten seconds before asking Edelgard again.  
  
"Alright, alright. I… I want this to be it," Edelgard murmurs, hugging Byleth’s shoulders and hiding her face in the empress’s neck. She’s seated nicely on Byleth’s lap in the loveseat, rocking her hips back and forth distractedly. Byleth frowns.  
  
"More conviction, El." Edelgard almost laughs, feeling like she’s being scolded now. Byleth knows she's messed up when Edelgard shoves her by her shoulders and pouts sincerely.  
  
"Look this may have worked with my heart but--I swear Byleth, I just--I need this. We need this. We need some sense of normalcy in our lives for once and I just--Why can't my body just--"  
  
"--We've only tried once." Wrong move. Edelgard suddenly pulls off of Byleth’s erection and glares daggers her way. Sometimes Byleth forgets how easily aggravated Edelgard can be… and it's quite a hassle having to feel like she has to watch her words one day when at the next, she can be completely open and honest with Edelgard in all of Byleth’s bluntness. There are very few instances that Byleth’s ever gotten visibly annoyed, but right now is one of them. Her jaw slackens and she clenches her fist. Edelgard further moves back, completely off her lap as she half-heartedly covers her breasts with an arm crossing over to her opposite shoulder. "Your irritation isn't helping."  
  
"What do you not understand?" Edelgard asks, fully angry now as she flails one of her hands about. "My body is physically useless when it comes to normal functions. You have no idea how--"  
  
"--Stop talking down to me," Byleth shouts, turning her head completely away as she bends down to grab her book that has the spell to dissipate the organ at her waist. "You're trying to tell me, the one who lacked a beating heart for over twenty years, that you're frustrated with your body, yet somehow I don't understand? Is that what you're saying, El? Really?" Edelgard purses her lips, still aggravated with a heat that blushes her face, even when she knows she isn't correct here. Byleth glances at her with a searing bit of anger that goes away when her eyes flicker down to the page and she mumbles the spell aloud.  
  
Df.  
  
The organ's gone, and so is their chance to fertilize Edelgard’s egg tonight. The thought makes Edelgard’s stomach plunge towards the ground. She sits and watches as Byleth haphazardly dresses, not sparing the emperor another glance. The emperor helplessly sits there, sinking into the couch as Byleth finishes up and stands with a rigid back.  
  
"Sorry. I just don't have the patience tonight. ...I really am sorry," Byleth murmurs.  
  
"It's understandable. I'm… being difficult again." Byleth finally turns to her and eases up her brows, but she doesn't attempt to coddle Edelgard.  
  
"I'll see you tonight. I'm gonna visit Claude." Edelgard opens her mouth, wanting to ask Byelth to stay, but she stops herself. Ever since her heart surgery Edelgard hasn't been working constantly, and now she's starting to rely on Byleth’s company perhaps too much. _Tonight_ , Edelgard thinks, _I should get back to work. I need some sense of a schedule I suppose. Maybe then I won't be burdening my wife quite so._ Byleth turns on her heel, leaving Edelgard without another word.  
  
 _SHPP!_  
  
….  
  
"I truly hate being alone," Edelgard whispers to herself.  
  
Downstairs in the Dining Hall:  
  
"Hey Teach!" Claude sets down a plate of cookies for Lysithea whose eyes are as wide as a happy chil--happy adult, before he walks towards Byleth. He takes one look at the furrow in her brows and freezes in place. "Woah. Is the Mrs. getting you down, pal?" Byleth nods curtly, itching her neck. "Well uh, maybe Lysithea and I can help, or at least get your mind off of it."  
  
"Sounds good," Byleth says, looking down at her own plate of fish in her hand. Claude smirks and throws an arm over her shoulder, urging her towards the table as Lysithea digs into her cookies like a monster. Byleth eyes her and then glances back to Claude who just chuckles and waves his fiancee off. "She’s going to be up all night with all that sugar…."  
  
"Eh so be it," Claude hums, throwing himself down in the padded seat beside Byleth. "I enjoy our late night talks."  
  
"Oh? How late?" Byleth teasingly asks, suggesting something less friendly with the smirk on her lips. Claude eats it up, smirking right back and winking.  
  
"Not as late as you and the ol' emperor," he throws right back. Byleth groans and starts busying her mouth with fish. "Heyyyy. You started it," he chuckles. "But man just last week you guys were going at it like animals! I swear, Lysithea was so red she may as well have become a heater for the entire palac--"  
  
"--HEY!" Lysithea yelps, finally realizing she's still in the real world and not some sugar induced candy land fantasy. "This is so so so not appropriate here!"  
  
"Don't be so immature," Claude says, shrugging as Lyisthea puffs up her cheeks at the word 'immature’ being uttered in her direction. "It's just sex after all. They're married. They're both hot. I see no problems," Claude finishes, leaning back in his chair. Byleth just shakes her head in humor, swallowing more fish down.  
  
"...You think Edelgard is 'hot?'" Lysithea asks, blinking hard.  
  
"Yeah she's good."  
  
"Good?" Byleth questions. "What does that even mean?"  
  
"It means she's not my bag, but I can see the appeal."  
  
"Edelgard is absolutely gorgeous," Byleth states matter of factly. "Not 'good,' as you say." Lysithea smiles, secretly enjoying how unintentionally protective Byleth is being.  
  
"Eh. You say that cuz you're her wife."  
  
"Claude be nice," Lysithea scolds, picking at a crumb or two left on her plate.  
  
"Edelgard is beautiful through and through," Byleth reiterates, putting her fork and knife down in an attempt to be more serious.  
  
"Alright Teach… she is, sure. But you, of course, are no less beautiful," Claude says, going for an honest smile. Byleth hums, not completely agreeing but not arguing either.  
  
"You are, Profess--Byleth," Lysithea jumps in, nodding the empress’s way. "Very much so!"  
  
"Thank you, I guess? I'm not sure how to take compliments like that," the empress admits, picking up her fork again.  
  
"Heh. But I can't forget my darling," Claude playfully sings, holding his hand out across the table, stretching towards Lysithea who teasingly pulls her hand away. "I'm trying to call you pretty! At least act bashful."  
  
"Me? Bashful? I'm more leaning toward bashing your head in if you flirt with me so tactlessly in front of a class act like Byleth."  
  
"Pffft! Class act?! As if," Claude laughs, and Byleth chuckles along with him, clearly taking his brashness well. "Last time Teach had to go to a fancy dance with the emperor, she stumbled over Edelgard’s left foot when they danced."  
  
"...I told you to forget about that," Byleth mumbles.  
  
"How could I? The image of Her stuck-up Highness whacking you over the head is just too good!"  
  
"You are so rude," Lysithea scolds, although she's sniffing out a laugh as well. "Though I bet Edelgard really did give you an earful for that."  
  
"Not quite," Byleth finishes quickly. _No Edelgard’s version of scolding that night was pulling me into a dark corner and kissing the breath out of me. I remember Hubert got pale when he noticed the marks on my neck afterward._ "Heh." Claude scratches his chin and smirks at his best friend.  
  
"I see how it was, Teach. She gave you a good lesson indeed." He chuckles darkly at the ceiling while Lysithea stays completely out of the loop, trying to piece it together. Now Byleth’s hoping Lysithea doesn't figure that out, because she'd probably be way too embarrassed imagining everything. Fortunately for Byleth, the dining room door swings open. Then the newly familiar burgundy dress and back cloak cloud Byleth’s vision. Despite everything, Edelgard in all her regal glory gracing her cerulean eyeballs with her presence still has Byleth’s heart skipping a beat every single time. For some reason though, Edelgard stops dead in her tracks and the slosh of her drink in the goblet she's holding sounded dangerously close to spilling over. Edelgard and Byleth stare each other down for a solid ten seconds without saying anything. Claude and Lysithea nervously clear their throats to break the spell.  
  
"Hi Edelgard," Lysithea tries to cheerily call, beckoning her over. "Oh! Is that cake?! What kind?" Edelgard smiles faintly at the ground as she approaches, pulling out a chair across from Byleth which… certainly stings. _Alright no reason to be that clingy_ , Byleth tells herself. Then when Edelgard sits down and smiles more fondly at her dear friend, Byleth feels a sting of jealously and shovels food into her mouth. _Get a grip Eisner. Well. Hresvelg. Get a grip, Hresvelg._  
  
"Teach," Claude whispers, nudging Byleth’s elbow. "What happened?"  
  
"Remember how I told you about the baby thing?" Claude’s face sours. When she told him Edelgard didn't end up pregnant yet, he felt Byleth’s pain for her. It seems like every time they talk alone, in the presence of just each other, Byleth always talks about her hopes for the future, and lately, a baby is what she's got in her head most often. "We… tried again," Byleth murmurs, "But we didn't get there. She and I argued instead." Edelgard looks over at Byleth and Claude who are obviously talking about her, and her lips pull downward. Apparently her lack of attention is noticeable to Lysithea, who nudges her with a little fingertip.  
  
"What happened? Are you both ok?"  
  
"We're fine," Edelgard says quietly. She feels ridiculous, because now all four of them are whispering like school kids. "I'm just… going to go eat elsewhere."  
  
"What? You barely ate a bite," Lysithea argues, reaching out for Edelgard’s elbow.  
  
"I'm going to return to my work."  
  
"Woah you're working again?" Claude interrupts. Byleth shakes her head at Edelgard right away.  
  
"You shouldn't be working," Byleth reminds her wife. "Ferdinand has things taken care of."  
  
"I'm plenty capable," Edelgard firmly says, standing up with her plate and goblet once again. "There's much to be done. I'll… see you all some other time." Her voice is cold and authoritative like it was towards the end of the war. Byleth hates it. Usually the empress would jump up and hurry after her wife, but she doesn't this time, just watches her go.  
  
Shhf!  
  
"That could have gone better," Claude sighs.  
  
"Hush," Lysithea sniffs. "Byleth are you two ok? I mean I've never seen you argue."  
  
"We've argued once or twice," Byleth says, scraping her fork around the plate that's barely got a speck of food left on it. Claude catches her hand the second the fork scrapes the porcelain especially loudly.  
  
"We're here for you," Claude reminds her, and Lysithea agrees with a firm shake of her head. Finally Byleth lets her shoulders slump as she leans an elbow on the table.  
  
"El's just having a hard time not being in control. I can tell. And I don't think that's wrong I just wish she'd… wish she'd trust me to handle things for her sometimes." Lysithea rounds the table and sits on the opposite side of Byleth from where Claude is, leaning on the arm of Byleth’s tall chair.  
  
"That certainly sounds like an Edelgard problem," Claude acknowledges, rubbing at his knee. "Maybe Lysithea and I should head out soon. I mean we already are leaving later this month, but what if our presence is irking Edelgard a bit."  
  
"No she really enjoys having Lysithea around. They're like sisters at this point." Lysithea puts a hand over her heart at the sentiment. "Besides, you both are welcome to stay."  
  
"I do wanna get back to Almyra soon, just to give my future wife a chance to see what she's missing."  
  
"Enough about us," Lysithea buds in, reaching over Byleth to push Claude’s shoulder. "Maybe… Edelgard’s just really scared."  
  
"She keeps saying her body's useless. That it's her fault she isn't pregnant yet," Byleth explains, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "I told her we've only tried once… it’s not a big deal."  
  
"But it is a big deal," Lysithea says, moving her head so Byleth will look at her. "To Edelgard, it's a big deal. Aren't you empathetic to that?"  
  
"Well yeah…."  
  
"Speaking from my own experience, I've always thought myself to be deadweight to those around me," Lysithea sadly states. "I can understand that just one screw up, intentional or not, makes Edelgard feel worthless."  
  
"But she nearly single-handedly unified Fodlan with her plans," Byleth offers.  
  
"No Teach. She had you there with her. And uh… she doesn't seem to be the type to take all the credit. In fact she… sort of seems to downplay her role in a lot of stuff. It's pretty admirable actually."  
  
"Claude’s right. Byleth I think maybe you and her just need to have a talk. Clearly something's irking her. Maybe it's something you can't even guess." Byleth tips her head to the side. Something I couldn't guess? But that'd mean there's something about El I don't know. Fear travels up her spine and flings out to her hand that trembles momentarily. I have to know what it is. With a start, Byleth pushes her chair back and forgets all about her dirty plate.  
  
"Thanks, you two."  
  
"No worries, Teach."  
  
"Anything for you and Edelgard," Lysithea says, patting the table. Byleth rushes off after that. Claude sighs loudly once the door shuts, and Lysithea curiously whistles his way. "What is it?"  
  
"It's just… Edelgard really is a lot for Byleth. Sometimes I still worry about her. That's all."  
  
"Claude stop saying that. They go together perfectly. I mean, imagine being angry at someone but still being able to look at them like-like they're the most special person in the entire world. Those two are incredible." The second Lysithea shuts her mouth, Claude smiles at her with his soft green eyes. Her heart stops.  
  
"Are you implying I _don't_ look at you that way?" Lysithea just blushes and mumbles something about getting more cookies.  
  
Minutes Later; Edelgard’s Study:  
  
The door swings open without any warning, and Edelgard doesn't bother to turn and check who it is. One of her hands is busy singing a bunch of paperwork while the other is holding up the next sheet for her eyes to skim over.  
  
"El. Do you feel worthless?" Edelgard raises a brow before going back to a neutral expression.  
  
"That's a loaded question."  
  
"Do you think I'm worthless?"  
  
"What? No."  
  
"Are you proud of yourself? Of what you've done for Fodlan?" This time Edelgard stops writing, but keeps her eyes fixated on the fine script in front of her.  
  
"Yes. Sometimes."  
  
"Do you ever wonder if we shouldn't be together?" Now Edelgard stops altogether, throwing her pen down on the desk with a loud slap before whipping her head in the direction of Byleth’s voice. The second her head turns to the side, Byleth ducks down, dropping to her knees on the right of Edelgard’s chair tucked halfway under her massive desk.  
  
"What are you trying to pull asking these questions?"  
  
"You're angry," Byleth comments, gripping the back of the chair. "Tell me why."  
  
"Because you're asking ridiculous questions after--"  
  
"--Not now. You're angry at me. You've been for the past few days. Why?" Edelgard grits her teeth, staring Byleth dead in the eyes. They don't utter a syllable until Edelgard folds, letting go of a heavy breath that weighed down her entire body.  
  
"...I'm not angry at you. I'm just… jealous." Byleth furrows her brows. She doesn't understand. Edelgard sighs again, this time putting one of her palms against the side of Byleth’s face. "You do so much for me, even without meaning to. And I can't even give you this."  
  
"Again. El. We've only tried once."  
  
"I _know._ But there’s this sick feeling in my stomach, constantly telling me I have no hope of carrying this child for you. I'm so useless compared to you," Edelgard whimpers, lilac eyes pointed at the massive pile of work on her desk.  
  
"You're not useless. Why do you keep thinking that? You're the emperor of Fodlan, El. Your drive is what got us here."  
  
"Not without the help of thousands of others…. I'm just a figurehead."  
  
"No you're not," Byleth repeats, standing up and taking Edelgard’s face into her hands. Of course Edelgard hurries to get out of it. "Come--El please. I don't want this to dig deeper. We're a team. We have each other over everything else, don't we?"  
  
"...Yes."  
  
"And if we never have a child naturally, we can adopt. There are so many kids out there who need homes. We could find one right now if we went looking." Edelgard stiffens her lip, nodding. "Can I be blunt?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Stop acting weak." Edelgard has to chuckle humorlessly at that. "I'm being serious. You are so strong, but you keep doubting yourself. I can't stand it. I don't want to see you revert to the cold Edelgard of wartime, but I also don't want to see you acting like this pitiful Edelgard you're letting yourself be now. I can give you all of my strength for now, but soon you have to just hold your own chin up again."  
  
….  
  
Edelgard throws herself into Byleth’s arms, and she’s caught with ease. Only then does Byleth really notice how much weight Edelgard’s lost in the past month or so. Still, Edelgard seems strong, and Byleth wonders if the removal of her second crest has not only affected her body, but her emotional sense as well.  
  
"I needed that," Edelgard murmurs, squeezing her wife to her chest.  
  
"Alright. But… just because I said you shouldn't be weak, doesn't mean you can't feel things. I'm always here for you, El. No matter how bad you get." Edelgard hums against Byleth’s ear and kisses it softly.  
  
"You have gotten so wise," Edelgard says, shutting her eyes as Byleth runs her fingers through soft white hair. "Another reason to love you, I suppose."  
  
"You're just as wise."  
  
"I'm not so sure," Edelgard rejects. Byleth saves her argument for later, instead just indulging in the hug Edelgard’s offering. It feels nice, even after they've done this about a thousand times by now. After the night of their engagement, they were sure to make hugs goodnight a habit. Byleth thinks back to that and smiles into the side of Edelgard’s head, pressing a few kisses to it. "Mmm. Byleth… I truly can never stay mad at you, my love."  
  
"Me either. I really do love you."  
  
"I love you, my light." The empress wraps her wife up in her arms and playfully spins her once, much to Edelgard’s disapproval. She hates feeling short, funnily enough. Byleth thinks it's hilarious. "You… wouldn't happen to be in the mood to try again? Right now?"  
  
"Try for a baby, you mean?" Edelgard nods, forehead brushing up against Byleth’s chest. "I'd love to."  
  
Three Months Later:  
  
Edelgard’s through the roof. She’s hurriedly scribbling her news to Lysithea who has traveled to Alymra earlier in the month with Claude. Immediately after stamping the letter closed, she writes to Hubert, smiling all the while.  
  
 _My dearest friend and trusted right hand, she writes. I've finally confirmed my pregnancy. It looks as though you'll be an uncle soon enough, old friend. I thank you for finding such a spell to even make this possible. Your precious dedication even from such a great distance doesn't go unnoticed._ Then she frowns. _Speaking of… I've noticed a few of your old spies lurking about the city where Byleth tends to travel alone. You best not be planning anything._  
  
 _With respect, and with love,_  
  
 _Edelgard._  
  
STP! The crimson wax sets itself in stark contrast to the white of the envelope. Her face lights up when her door cracks open.  
  
"Can I come in?" Byleth asks.  
  
"When have you ever asked before?" Edelgard jokes, shuffling a few piles together before holding the two letters in her hand.  
  
"Are those for Hubert and--"  
  
"--Lysithea. Yes. Walk with me?" Byleth smiles and puts a hand low on Edelgard’s back as they stalk their way through the palace in search of one of the mailers. They both nod their greetings at the passerby who try bowing at them just for Byleth to wave it off.  
  
"None of that," Byleth tells one cleaning woman. "We just had tea an hour ago."  
  
"Y-yes but Her Majesty is--"  
  
"--It's fine," Byleth assures her, even though Edelgard doesn't fully agree. The emperor is more of the mindset that she still needs her very specific title to hold authority over the masses. But if Byleth insists for such formalities to be thwarted inside the palace… Edelgard can let it go. _I don't want to be a Hubert, after all_ , she thinks with a grin.  
  
"Right…" the woman goes, twirling the duster between her fingers. "Well… please teach me to fish again sometime soon, Byleth."  
  
"You bet." They set to walking again. Edelgard amusedly drags a finger down Byleth’s jaw.  
  
"You're teaching more of the staff to fish? It's… still winter, my light."  
  
"Never a bad time to learn how to fish," Byleth simply explains, adjusting the gold trimmed collar that she’s been fiddling with all morning. Edelgard stops her with a hand to her chest.  
  
"Let me undo it for you," Edelgard says, putting the envelopes under her arm just for Byleth to helpfully hold them herself. Byleth hasn't cut her hair in over a year, so it's length is coming close to Edelgard’s now. Though… Edelgard can still be proud of how soft hers is in comparison to Byleth’s unruly locks. Still, it's nice to see Byleth’s hair so long even when it's put in an intricate updo Edelgard showed her how to do a few weeks back. "Byleth."  
  
"Hmm?" She tips her head back so Edelgard can adjust the scarf around her neck easier.  
  
"I quite like your hair like this." She fiddles with the knot of the scarf as she says, "I also love that no matter what shade of red I choose to wear now, you seem to actively try to match me." Even now, standing here, Edelgard went for a slim full-body cranberry red dress just for Byleth to put on a more revealing version of the same shade. And she looked damn good in it, honestly. Edelgard certainly has a lot of fun seeing Byleth’s many tailored outfits these days.  
  
"Yeah. I sometimes miss the all black though."  
  
"Oh? You should go back to that then."  
  
"But you like this."  
  
"Yes and _you_ like black," Edelgard shrugs. "I think you look wonderful in both."  
  
"Maybe I'll have our kid wear all black instead."  
  
"...Mm." Byleth chuckles at that response and pulls away once Edelgard’s done retying her cloak.  
  
"Why do I have a feeling that you're going to be very possessive with our kid?"  
  
"What do you mean?" Edelgard asks half-defensively. Byleth flicks her on the nose and takes her by the hand as they search out the mailer yet again.  
  
"I just know you're going to want them to be influenced by you way more than me. And for good reason. Unless you want a somewhat barbaric kid."  
  
"Oh. My love. Don't think that about yourself. You're far from it now."  
  
"Eh. I still don't always eat with a fork."  
  
"Ha!" Edelgard covers her mouth with a loose fist. "It's not as if you're uncivilized, Byleth. You've gotten far better about reading the room, anyhow."  
  
"I guess," Byleth mumbles, rubbing her neck anxiously as they hurry down the steps in unison. Edelgard picks up on her worry and pulls Byleth’s arm into her side with two hands.  
  
"Are you perhaps getting cold feet?"  
  
"It is sort of scary knowing we're going to be responsible for carving a tiny person into a… big person. But I'm still really excited. I want this with you. Desperately, even."  
  
"We can do this Byleth. Tell me we can." Byleth smiles at that, sliding her hand up to catch Edelgard’s hand in her own.  
  
"We can do this, El."  



	8. Chapter 8

  
Five Months into Pregnancy:  
  
 _Nnnnh! Byleth don't stop! You feel so, so good, Byleth! Byleth! Byleth!!!_  
  
"Byleth?" The empress’s eyes pop wide open and she jerks up, rustling the sheets. Her eyes can't even adjust to the pitch blackness of their bedroom right now.  
  
"What's wrong, El?"  
  
"Your tossing and turning woke me up for the third time tonight," Edelgard complains, and Byleth can imagine the pout on her lips. Instead of saying sorry, Byleth flips onto her side and cuddles into Edelgard’s back, careful not to squeeze the now noticeable bump of her stomach. Though just hugging her wife isn't enough after a minute of silence. The wet sounds of her lips pressing kiss after kiss to Edelgard’s nape is intoxicating. And sooner rather than later, Byleth unintentionally rubs her hips into Edelgard’s backside suggestively. "Tch. After you keep me up half the night, you expect me to just want to make love to you, now?"  
  
"Not particularly," Byleth says, playing along. She rubs into Edelgard again, daringly reaching up to squeeze one of her sensitive breasts that are growing slightly with their production of milk. Of course, even if Edelgard tries to act tough, her voice gives herself away.  
  
"Ah. Byleth, careful. That hurts a little bit."  
  
"Can't help it," the empress hotly whispers, licking teasingly at Edelgard’s neck and earning a nice whimper in reply. "I kept dreaming about you. You were crying out for me as I licked between your th--"  
  
"-- _Byleth_ , don't tease me like this," she whines, spinning around in Byleth’s hold so she can face her. "I know my body is less appealing now as it is."  
  
"No it’s not," Byleth says, voice grovely with sleep. "I put that kid in you. I love your body even more for that reason alone." Edelgard can feel her face get pink, so she thanks the sky for being dark right now.  
  
"If you say so."  
  
"I do say so," Byleth chuckles, dragging a hand down from Edelgard’s shoulder, over her breast, and down her hip. "Are you tired?"  
  
"Exhausted," Edelgard replies, dropping her head into the pillow.  
  
"Ah. Ok."  
  
"You really wanted sex?"  
  
"It's ok," Byleth says instead. Edelgard, yawning all the while, lazily rubs her hand against Byleth’s breast, and the empress groans needily. Edelgard tries to blink herself awake, but her eyes keep drifting closed.  
  
"I'm sorry. Tomorrow. I swear."  
  
"No it’s alright," Byleth repeats. "Get your rest for the kid, El."  
  
"Mm. 'Night, my love."  
  
"Sleep well." When she can hear Edelgard’s breathing even out, she knows her wife is out for good, and she chastises herself over and over in her head, _don't you dare touch yourself_. After twenty minutes of this mantra, ignoring her twitching hips, Byleth finally falls asleep, spooning Edelgard again.  
  
Five Minutes Past Dinner:  
  
Edelgard’s grumpily stomping around the palace, looking for Caspar. He's supposed to be working on paperwork for a minor scuffle down near Garreg Mach, but he's nowhere to be seen; And neither is Byleth. Edelgard halts and puts both hands on her hips, huffing in the middle of the narrow hallway. _I swear Byleth. If you took him fishing too, I am going to just--_  
  
She feels a sudden kick low in her stomach and her eyes widen. Immediately her hands go to her stomach and she doesn't even breathe, trying to see if it happens again. She hadn't felt the baby kick before. _Come on sweetheart. Do it again for me._ Seconds go by… but nothing. Edelgard’s face drops in disappointment. Then the baby kicks again. Hard.  
  
"Wow," Edelgard states in total awe. Suddenly, the fact that she’s actually carrying a child somewhere deep inside her finally seems real. Her entire body feels light, like a feather in wind, but she's then weighed down by anxiety. She might not be a good mom. She might totally fail. Her child might hate her. Byleth and her may be split apart for whatever reason, and leave their child in a broken home… there are so many unfounded doubts. Though she has Byleth to tell these worries to. Well, she should have Byleth. Her amazement falls to the back of her mind as she sets forth, rushing through the palace for a different reason this time. She checks nearly every single room in this massive palace and finds no trace of her wife. She sighs dramatically and rubs the bridge of her nose once she shuts the last palace door. _Ok then. Time to summon you as I did for Hubert._  
  
"Byleth?! Byleth von Hresvelg!" A few maids pop their heads out from different rooms with looks of mild concern. Why in the world is the emperor screaming down the halls? Edelgard doesn't even have an answer. Her wife just requires very odd ways of calling for her presence. And within the minute, Byleth and Caspar appear, shuffling down the hall with dirty boots and slightly scuffed cheeks. Edelgard slaps a hand over her face.  
  
"Were you two truly brawling in the stables again? It's snowing today. You could have slipped on ice. And you were supposed to be filling out paperwork, Caspar!"  
  
"Uh well I uh--"  
  
"--He didn't know the definition of a word," Byleth explains lamely, sheepishly rubbing her neck that looks red from the winter winds.  
  
"Yep! I just needed empress Byleth’s help. Just like the good old days. Heh." Edelgard stares at the two from the cracks between her fingers and sighs loudly.  
  
"Sure. Whatever. Both of you, give me your hands. Quick, quick!" Byleth and Caspar share confused looks before obediently putting out a hand each.  
  
"Are we about to get our hands slapped?" Caspar whispers with a bead of sweat forming above his brow. Byleth murmurs something under her breath but is cut off when Edelgard gently places their palms low on her stomach. The two are stunned into silence when they feel the baby kick. "W-woah! That's so cool! Professor, your baby's gonna have an awesome kick just like you!" Byleth doesn't even answer, too busy blinking the silly tears away from her eyelids. Edelgard and Caspar smile at each other, silently acknowledging Byleth’s moment without breaking her from it. Well that logic lasts for a minute before Caspar roughly slaps his hand against Byleth's back in congratulations. "You look proud. And I'm proud of you too! You're gonna be the best mom. And you too, Edelgard."  
  
"Thank you," Edelgard says, looking at her wife still.  
  
"Alright. I'll have the paperwork done by eight. See you guys!" Caspar happily skips away, clinking his heavy boots against the floor with every movement.  
  
"Are you happy?" Edelgard asks, putting her hand over Byleth’s that's stayed on her stomach.  
  
"I can't express it. But yes. I am." Edelgard squeezes the hand under hers, and the baby kicks one more time. The way Byleth’s eyes light up like a child who caught a bug in her bare hands for the first time, fills Edelgard up with pure joy that's sweet enough to taste on the tip of her tongue. "El we're really having a baby." Edelgard smiles up at her and nods. When Byleth’s lips part next, nothing comes out but a strained syllable and then the start of a tearful hiccup.  
  
"Come here," Edelgard says, already reaching for the back of Byleth’s neck and pulling her in when Byleth starts to sniff back harder tears. "I know, my light. It's overwhelming, isn't it?"  
  
" _Hick!_ How are you not freaking out?" Byleth asks, stuffing her face between Edelgard’s breasts even though it breaks her spine to do so.  
  
"Because I have you with me. I know you'll set me straight if need be."  
  
Month Six:  
  
"Fuck I just want to eat," Edelgard barks, slamming a fist down and toppling over a bottle of ink on her desk. "Dammit!" She tries to get up quickly, but the weight of her stomach has her failing to save a sheet of paper from the staining black mess pooling on the oak wood. " _Dammit!_ Again. _Urgh_." She shouts again, having nothing to shield the rest of the papers away from but her left hand. "Ughhhh, come on." Then her door swings open.  
  
"Everything alri--Oh sheesh," Ferdinand goes, rushing forward and undoing the rather expensive looking tie around his neck to catch some of the ink with.  
  
"No need to waste such a pretty thing on a stupid mistake," Edelgard mumbles, thankful nonetheless.  
  
"It's not a bother, emperor. Though I can't imagine what you'd do without me if I wasn't walking by your door." Edelgard rolls her eyes but says nothing. _I was handling it_ , she defends internally. Ferdinand does make up for his silly remark, cleaning up the ink like a champ before handing her a handkerchief out of his back pocket. She takes it with a nod of her head.  
  
"Why did you not just use this instead of your tie?"  
  
"You required immediate attention," he answers honestly. It's… sweet. "Now I require _your_ immediate attention." Edelgard tries to not sigh. She’s so hungry that her stomach is knotting even though she literally ate a full lunch not even an hour ago. Curse my stomach for two. I'm going to weigh far too much by the end of the ninth month. Though… sherbert and cream sounds delicious right now.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"I need your help," Ferdinand says, looking down at his feet somewhat bashfully. It's unusual for him, and Edelgard finds herself caring a lot more as she wipes between her fingers with his lavender scented cloth. "Seeing you and the empress being so happily married has made me want to marry Bernadetta even more so."  
  
"What's stopping you?"  
  
"Well… I have a lot of work to do here for the sake of the Empire and--"  
  
"--Take a month off and plan your wedding, Ferdinand." He blinks, and a cheshire grin lights up his face.  
  
"That easy?! Oh. You really are a softy somewhere deep down in there, Your Majesty!" Edelgard frowns at that.  
  
"Not _that_ deep down. I do nice things for you. Occasionally. When you don't annoy me."  
  
"I never annoy you." Edelgard glares at him. "Ok ok. Not anymore. Or that often!"  
  
"Fine. Yes. You're less of a nuisance now. Happy? Now go. I'm starving." Ferdinand chuckles as he leaves, taking off with one last comment.  
  
"Don't gain too much weight, Your Highness." Edelgard says nothing and she whips a book right at his face. "Argh!"  
  
Twenty Minutes Later:  
  
"I'm so… hungry," Edelgard groans, trying to rub the frown off of her face. She's bustling about the halls, checking with different people she needs to do certain things before she can go get a snack. And just as she finishes the last thing on her checklist, a frantic mailbox comes running down the hall.  
  
"H-hi Your Majesty," he goes, waving shakily from an odd amount of distance. "E-empress Byleth is being weird in the g-gardens. She keeps trying to fight with Bernadetta?"  
  
"...Really, now?" Edelgard can feel a headache coming on. "Alright then. I will see to it. But please, get yourself a glass of water." The boy nods, finally showing how exhausted he is as he stumbles forward. His blunder doesn't last long though, because Edelgard scoops him up in her arms and has him lean against her shoulder.  
  
"Um. Uh. Y-you don't have to do this Y-Your M-Majesty." Edelgard shushes him and walks him towards the kitchen without saying another word.  
  
When Edelgard’s sure the boy is fine, she heads for the gardens, making sure to be extra cautious with her health when she decides to put on a heavier coat. With a huff, she walks outside, and not even ten steps later, she can hear Bernadetta shouting near the front gates of the garden area.  
  
"P-Professor I just don't get it! Why are you being so nice to me all over again?! You're supposed to treat me like everyone else! I-I'm not trying to be special."  
  
"But you are special," Byleth insists. Edelgard's lip curls upward at that. She’s currently resting her back on the opposite side of the garden wall, wondering if she even needs to intervene here. She figured as much earlier, that Byleth and Berandetta were just misunderstood by some of the staff as usual.  
  
"I'm not," Bernadetta squeaks, sounding like she’s shaking something. "Why can't you just do what you're supposed to do?! Only the emperor is supposed to be treated so nice by you. Not me or Ferdie or any of the other Eagles!" Edelgard finds herself frowning. _When did she start thinking that?_  
  
"Why not, Bernie?"  
  
"C-cuz you've always treated Edelgard as the special one! Ever since the beginning. It's--Everyone thought it was weird when you did nice things for us, especially when you'd do it just after giving Edelgard one of those b-bears."  
  
"I'm sorry," Byleth says. Bernadetta sputters and then shuts her mouth with a whine. Edelgard can imagine the sincere look on Byleth’s face now. "I never knew that was how you all felt."  
  
"I… didn't mean that in a bad way though. Good going Bernie…."  
  
"May I hug you?"  
  
"What?! Um. I--Why would you want to?" Edelgard grins at her feet, pushing hair behind her ear.  
  
"Because you're special to me, too." Edelgard literally has to touch her heart to stop it from flying out of her chest. Byleth’s voice is just so sweet in moments like these… and Edelgard’s always noticed she takes that tone when with Bernadetta in general. Byleth always said she was so cold back then, but she did things like this from as far back as when Edelgard first met her. Who else would nearly die for someone she just met? _Byleth you are something all too good for this world._  
  
"...I um. I guess that's fine. B-Bernie won't mess this up. Promise." Byleth hums and Edelgard can hear them connecting as their clothes shift about.  
  
….  
  
"This is kinda nice," Bernadetta mutters. "You feel safe--er um. Nevermind!" Edelgard chuckles slightly too loudly and loses her position. "Ah! A ghost?!" Byleth doesn't answer, swinging open the tall black painted gate and narrowly missing Edelgard who quickly tries to appear to have just stumbled upon the two.  
  
"Why didn't you just say you were here?" Byleth asks incredulously. Edelgard drops her head down.  
  
"I never can get past you, my love."  
  
"Ok well I'm g-gonna go now! Bye Professor. Bye emperor Edelgard."  
  
"Be well, Bernadetta." When it's just the two of them again, Byleth holds a hand out to her wife who takes it gracefully. "One of the mailboys said you were arguing with her."  
  
"Oh," Byleth chuckles. "I just startled her and she started saying I was trying to kill her again."  
  
"That's reasonable," Edelgard dryly jokes.  
  
"El. I miss Hubert." Edelgard raises both brows at that. "What? He's nice to me sometimes."  
  
"Sure sure."  
  
"Do you not think so?" Byleth laughs, bringing Edelgard’s hand up to her lip to kiss the knuckles.  
  
"Mm. He behaves for you," Edelgard claims, shrugging playfully.  
  
"That sounds about right. Hey you look a little pale, though. Are you ok?" Edelgard finally lets out a long held breath and idly rubs her baby bump.  
  
"I'm starving." Instead of laughing or poking fun, Byleth just nods and starts pulling Edelgard towards the Palace’s side doors.  
  
"I'll make you something." Edelgard’s eyes light up like bulbs.  
  
"Oooh! Something sweet, then!"  
  
"You name it, my heart."  
  
Month Seven:  
  
For once it's Byleth who’s chained to a desk doing paperwork when Edelgard bursts through the door.  
  
"Byleth~," she whines, shuffling towards Byleth’s chair that's surrounded by a couple stacks of books. Her blue hair looks more orange in the light of the multiple lanterns up on the desk and hanging on the walls. It must be close to twelve at night now. "Why are you not in bed yet? I can't sleep without you," Edelgard complains, crossing her arms.  
  
"Sorry El, I'm just really looking forward to our plans for tomorrow and I don't want this to be in the back of my mind the whole time we're out." Edelgard can understand that, but still,  
  
"If you don't sleep soon you'll be exhausted instead of preoccupied." Byleth's lip downturns on one side.  
  
"Come along then," Edelgard insists, moving a pile of books out of the way for Byleth to walk past. On the tip of Byleth's tongue is a complaint. She doesn't want Edelgard to be bending down like that but… she knows better after the last time she said something similar (because Edelgard just about shouted at her in front of twelve different maids who were on their break). Obediently Byleth follows after her wife, changing out of her heavy clothes the second they step inside the room. She tips her head to the side once she notices that instead of getting cozy under the sheets, Edelgard’s on the edge of the bed watching her.  
  
"Byleth," Edelgard purrs, leaning back slightly with a hand supporting her on the bed. Ah. Byleth gets it now. _So she just wanted me to come to bed so we can have sex. Hm. Can't argue with that._  
  
"You've been turned on pretty often lately," Byleth comments, not bothering to put on her pajamas before hopping onto the mattress and pulling Edelgard with her so they flop down on their sides. Edelgard’s slightly surprised squeak is maybe the cutest thing Byleth’s ever heard though, and she chuckles lightly as she presses her pointy nose into Edelgard’s. "Not that I mind, of course."  
  
"Uh-huh," Edelgard scoffs, pinching Byleth’s waist before patting it in apology. "You're being adorable, my light. I don't think I'm quite in the mood for anything sensual just yet. Let me kiss you." Byleth nods and closes her eyes, letting Edelgard set the pace for as long as she wants. It's a great feeling for Edelgard, feeling Byleth run her hands along her sides and up her stomach to knead her breasts just like she did prior to Edelgard’s baby bump showing. It feels so obvious that Byleth thinks nothing of the change in her body. She had heard so many horror stories from some of the kitchen staff, talking of how their husband's wouldn't make love to them while they were pregnant all because of the inconvenience. She didn't understand the inconvenience part really, because Byleth went out of her way to always find positions for them to make love in that didn't put an ounce of strain on Edelgard. It was something, seeing Byleth so caring even with something so minute. It just goes to show how every aspect of their relationship means the world to Byleth. _She wants me to feel alright no matter the happenstance. My light always looks out for me, even when I don't find out about it until days or weeks later. You're just so unbearably good to me, Byleth._  
  
"You seem distracted," Byleth blurts, moving to kiss Edelgard’s jaw just below her ear (it's the emperor’s weak spot).  
  
"Hhnn. That's good, my love. No I'm not distracted. I'm thinking about you and how patient you've been with me." She flashes back to the insane amount of times she's snapped at Byleth within the last week alone. _Byleth don't touch that! No Byleth you can't fish right now! I need you to rub my shoulders. Urgh, Byleth! Can you just stop tapping your foot for THREE seconds?!_ "Ooof. I've been vile," Edelgard huffs. "I mean nothing by it, I swear."  
  
"I understand. I haven't gotten upset once." Byleth's kind words are accompanied by a drag of her tongue and then a hard kiss to Edelgard’s collarbone. "Your skin smells extra sweet. Did you bathe with those carnation petals I gave you?"  
  
"Yes and they were lovely. Thank you again. It was a wonderful surprise to find on my bedside this morning." That reminds her, "Where did you run off to, though?" Byleth smirks and presses another kiss to Edelgard’s chest.  
  
"You'll find out tomorrow." Edelgard slips her fingers into Byleth’s hair and gently pulls by the nape of her neck.  
  
"Why won't you tell me now?"  
  
"Cuz I said so," Byleth answers, tickling Edelgard’s side. Edelgard's cheeks puff out as she holds in her laugh. "Now lay back. I'm going to give you head."  
  
"So blunt," Edelgard states, lying back anyhow.  
  
"I want what I want."  
  
"And dominating, too? Hmm."  
  
"Yeah be a good girl for me."  
  
….  
  
Both of them chuckle aloud, neither able to take that seriously. And it must be a talent of Byleth’s to be able to send her high laughing and then fling her off into space when she pulls Edelgard’s underwear down and starts sucking at her clitoris.  
  
"Ungh. How much more can I fall in love with you?" Edelgard asks exasperatedly, grabbing for the sheets with her clenched fists. Byleth smugly laughs it off and gets back to work. The feeling is mutual.  
  
The Next Day:  
  
"Hubert!" Edelgard exclaims, waving like an excitable teenager as he approaches from across the street. He hurries towards her and Byleth, looking like a rain cloud on this early spring day. Of course once he gets close enough, he takes one of Edelgard’s hands and bows his head.  
  
"Surprise, Your Majesty." Edelgard smiles at Byelth, thanking her with her eyes before affectionately patting Hubert’s shoulder. "You look ravishing. And pregnant. Both are lovely." Byleth rolls her eyes but apparently Edelgard’s hormones are flattered, because she smiles and tugs his hand, putting it against her stomach. Byleth can tell Hubert must've felt the baby kick because his eyes widen. "Oh. That was… unexpected, I suppose. I wonder if it will look like you, Your Majesty."  
  
"...I'm also the parent," Byleth mumbles, gesturing in the air. "It'll look like both of us obviously."  
  
"Hmm." Him and Byleth glare at each other half seriously before Edelgard clears her throat and snaps her fingers.  
  
"Be nice, Hubert. I take it Byleth is the reason you're even here." Hubert starts fixing his cuffs, shrugging it off.  
  
"Yes. Well I'm always available for you, Lady Edelgard."  
  
"Uh-huh," Byleth sighs, putting a hand on her hip.  
  
"Be good, Byleth." Edelgard nudges Byleth’s side before pointing at a shop nearby. "There is a store I must show you, Hubert. They have some of the finest silk gloves I've ever touched."  
  
"I do need a new pair," he says, smiling faintly.  
  
When it comes time for dinner, Byleth leads them to a small snack of a restaurant that Hubert tries arguing against immediately.  
  
"Just… trust me," Byleth begs, holding the door open for Edelgard to step in first. Even though both Hubert and Edelgard stick out like sore thumbs in the middle of the quaint blonde wood and bright blue painted restaurant, the second they get their fried fish, they just about drool. "Good, right?"  
  
"...Yes," Hubert reluctantly says, trying not to swallow the fish whole. Edelgard’s too busy muttering how hungry she is as she chokes down bites of baked vegetables on the side. Hubert looks at Byleth worriedly, wondering if he's about to see the emperor start heaving, but Byleth just mouths no it's fine, and he shakes his head in humor. The three of them finish their plates in record time, and when Edelgard personally thanks the chef, Byleth has to literally catch the man before he falls over with hearts for eyes. Yes, everyone in Enbarr most definitely loves their beautiful and fearless emperor who’s dug them out of near-poverty and made Enbarr bustle again. Then when the trio walk the streets, keeping their hoods up, Hubert clears his throat, breaking the comfortable silence.  
  
"Your Majesty, do you think you will need more help for a while, once you deliver the baby? I only ask because I know labor is nothing less than a nightmare."  
  
"Mm. That's comforting," Edelgard sighs. Byleth of course shakes her head at Hubert and puts a hand on Edelgard’s back for the rest of the way. "Anyway. I think Ferdinand and Caspar are doing well. Bernadetta has already told me she will be looking after me more personally, and of course I have Byleth."  
  
"...Though none of those names are mine," Hubert mumbles. "Do you not need my help?" He almost sounds like he’s whining, and both royalty have to try and make sure they heard that right.  
  
"I only leave you out because you're the head of an entire academy, Hubert. I always think you must have your hands full. And knowing you, you've never hired an assistant."  
  
"I've found someone," he answers vaguely. "She will do well. Seeing as she's Professor Manuela."  
  
"You let her run an entire school?" Byleth asks, half-surprised.  
  
"She’s done well thus far. Though my time away today and tomorrow will let me know how well." Edelgard smiles and touches his shoulder.  
  
"Hubert, it sounds like you want to be back here. There's no shame in missing home."  
  
"It's not Enbarr I miss," he says, looking past her shoulder.  
  
"That's sweet," Edelgard grins, "Though you chose to leave my side for something better."  
  
"Yes but it doesn't feel quite right now that you or even… Byleth, of all people, is nowhere near me."  
  
"I love to be an afterthought," Byleth mumbles, and neither of the other two hear her.  
  
"Well. I have heard Ferdinand say he is interested in traveling back there. After all, the idea to have schools open to the public is his idea. He and Bernadetta have already opened another one here in Enbarr. Perhaps he would like to have a homebase in Garreg Mach once they marry."  
  
"And then I would be able to stay by your side again in his place?"  
  
"Well if you'd like that," Edelgard answers, frowning slightly. "I don't want you to feel bound to me forever, my friend. One day I will step down and there will be no reason for you to stay beside me."  
  
"There is always a reason," Hubert insists, stuffing a hand into his pocket and narrowly missing the low hanging sign in front of a business door. "But I can understand the sentiment, Your Majesty." Byleth and Edelgard share a concerned look, wondering if Hubert is reverting back to his older and more obsessive self for no good reason. The wives have talked many times, mostly Edelgard, about how happy she is that he has chosen to free himself of the Empire for once in his life. Yet here he is now, begging to return. "Edelgard," he suddenly says, and she widens her eyes at the use of her name from his lips. "Please allow me to take back my old position." Edelgard sighs loudly and stops them all in their tracks so they can step into a quiet and vacant side street where the cobblestone sticks out of its place in the ground.  
  
"Hubert what is the purpose."  
  
"...I miss doing the nefarious things that came with working under the Empire."  
  
"That's not… a good thing," Edelgard huffs.  
  
"Running an entire school is so innocent in comparison. I long for the days of digging into places not meant for my eyes. I miss arguing with the empress! I miss shouting at Ferdinand in your stead! It feels as though I am someone else now, and it’s maddening," he belts, shaking his hands in the air.  
  
"...I guess 'nice' Hubert was a flash in the pan," Byleth states flatly. Edelgard tries not to laugh as she squeezes her wife’s hand.  
  
"Perhaps I should ask Dorothea to come back and build up the Middlefrank again… we can go through with our plan of making it a nest of spies," he says, skipping over Byleth’s words entirely.  
  
"Oh, Hubert," Edelgard groans, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "If you insist on returning, you may. You are of course a priceless asset to the Empire."  
  
"Yes!" He suddenly cheers, weirding the wives out as he rattles his fist in the air. "I'll be back by the months end, in that case."  
  
"That quickly?" Byleth asks, scratching her head. "But…"  
  
"I already told Manuela I planned on returning here."  
  
"Of course you did," Byleth chuckles.  
  
"Yes. And now that I shall be the emperor's right hand… I don't mind being your left, empress Byleth."  
  
"I'm good."  
  
"Have it your way," he mumbles.  
  
Eight Months Pregnant:  
  
"Can you two stop having sex so loudly?" Hubert asks Byleth one evening. Byleth sucks in a breath and nearly spills the two glasses of water she's holding in her hand because Hubert just appeared out of thin air, maybe a foot in front of her.  
  
"Hubert. Please stop warping everywhere in the palace. You nearly knocked El over last week."  
  
"Can you stop having sex so loudly, then?"  
  
"...I dare you to ask El that. She's the one who’s loud and hormonal." Hubert grits his teeth and puts a hand on his hip in thought.  
  
"Well she'd likely hit me with something heavy. She's been oftly irritated."  
  
"Mhm. Good luck." Byleth gently brushes into him and continues down the hall, trying to bring Edelgard the glass of water she asked for as well as an extra one for before bedtime.  
  
"Empress Byleth. She's due next month?" Byleth nods and keeps walking, so Hubert just warps next to her again with a finger tapping his chin. "Perhaps I should get set on the room she'll deliver in."  
  
"Sounds good Hubert. I'll help tomorrow."  
  
"No need," he says. "Bernadetta is already sewing the dark sheets. You just… keep being the dutiful wife." Finally Byleth stops, having gotten to Edelgard’s study door now.  
  
"Hubert, I'm the general of the Empire's military. I'm not just a dutiful wife."  
  
"Yes but Caspar is the head of military affairs. You just need to be around for when things go south. A blessing really."  
  
"You have a nice way of saying something rude and then correcting it," Byleth sighs, putting one of the glasses under her arms so she can turn the knob. "I'll talk to you later."  
  
"Oh… ok." Byleth purses her lips and turns back to him, barely having pushed the door open at all.  
  
"Was there something else?" She asks. Hubert shifts his weight back and forth on his feet and stiffly looks to the side.  
  
"I wanted to play chess sometime soon." Byleth smiles.  
  
"When?"  
  
"Now, if you could," he answers. Byleth snickers at that.  
  
"Give me a minute." Once she opens the door fully she sees that Edelgard has already gotten up from her desk and slowly walked to her. "El! I'm bringing it to you, you don't have to get up."  
  
"I'm fine," Edelgard lightly pants. It seems like within a month her stomach has somehow doubled in size, and with her body being fairly small, it's all the more of a struggle to get moving for her. "Thank you for the water, my light." Her fingers brush Byleth’s and they're just about freezing.  
  
"Are you cold?" Byleth asks, setting down the extra glass and cupping her hands over Edelgard’s who has her water cup tipped to her lips. She shakes her head no as she swallows. "We're having a fairly cold late spring."  
  
"Especially for Enbarr," Edelgard agrees, smiling as Byleth’s hands continue to try and warm her as they drag up and down Edelgard’s sides. "Did I hear you say you were going to play chess with Hubert?"  
  
"Oh right. Yeah is that ok with you?"  
  
"You don't need my permission, my light." Byleth breathes loudly out of her nose and rubs the back of her neck.  
  
"I know but you only have a few weeks left before you go into labor. I want to make sure you're ok, El."  
  
"Don't worry yourself so much. I'm quite alright. Just… be in our room before eleven?" Byleth nods and presses a soft kiss to Edelgard’s forehead. "See you soon, my love."  
  
Ten Forty-Seven P.M.:  
  
Skkt!  
  
"El! I made it. Sheesh. Hubert nearly won at the end there," Byleth pants, looking like she just ran from one end of the palace to the other. Edelgard groggily lifts her head from the pillow and does nothing but nod and pout at the ceiling. "...Did I wake you up?" Edelgard shakes her head no and drops down again. She's lying on her back and the sheets around her are all bunched up and damp looking. Byleth frowns to herself and kicks off her boots before dropping on her knees next to the bed. "Are you not able to sleep again?"  
  
"I'm having awful contractions," Edelgard mumbles, sounding like just uttering a few syllables is work right now.  
  
"Do you want me to knead your waist like last night?" Edelgard shakes her head no. "Should I stay quiet?" Edelgard nods yes. Ok then. Byleth blows out the candle on Edelgard’s nightstand and starts taking her clothes off, throwing herself into her new pajamas Bernadetta gifted her. They're all black with a crimson trim down the sides of the pants. She sneaks her way past the one floorboard that always creaks extra loudly and gets under the sheets besides El, adjusting them back over the emperor’s hip just to have small hands push her wrists away. Ok. She must be feeling too hot then. Byleth adjusts herself so she's faced the opposite way of Edelgard, and shuts her eyes for the night.  
  
….  
  
Minutes later, Byleth can feel Edelgard tossing and turning, because Edelgard always seems to forget that at this point, she has no choice but to sleep on her back. Edelgard aggravatedly sighs and drops one of her fists on the bed tiredly. And being the loving wife she is, Byleth turns over and starts petting Edelgard’s head.  
  
"I'll stay up with you," Byleth says.  
  
"Don't do that," Edelgard remarks, rubbing at her eyes. "I'm miserable getting this little sleep again. I thought I would have no issues with the contractions but they're just so distracting. As soon as I get close to shutting my eyes, my muscles spasm."  
  
"Mm. Are you sure you don't want me to rub your waist?" Edelgard reluctantly tightens her lips, and Byleth already knows the answer. "It's not putting me out, El. I'll do anything for you."  
  
"Thank you," Edelgard breathes, already feeling some of the tension in her hips being relieved as Byleth’s hands run over her stomach and then press into her waist. "Ah! It's so sensitive."  
  
"I'll be more gentle," Byleth promises, moving so she can sit with her legs criss-crossed next to Edelgard. It's so quiet in the room, in the palace. They can just hear each other’s breathing and the sounds of skin against skin. It's peaceful. Byleth has time to sit and think, wondering what the baby's sex will be or what they'll look like, what hobbies they'll like. Edelgard is fretting over how much pain the actual delivery will bring her if just contractions hurt this much. "El? Do you think you'd want another kid?" Edelgard chuckles and rests a forearm over her eyes.  
  
"Let us have this first one."  
  
"Yeah…." Edelgard lowers her arm and peeks at her wife.  
  
"You want another?" Byleth shrugs. "Tell me what's on your mind."  
  
"A lot. But. There's one thing in particular I've been meaning to talk about with you." Edelgard nods, finally forgetting about the pain she's in for now. "Dorothea told me that when she and Petra have a kid, they've already promised each other that they come first. Like… like they'll put each other before their child in certain instances, I guess. And that doesn't sit right with me," Byleth says. "I just um. I love you. Of course I do. But just because I love you doesn't mean I wouldn't fight you if you tried to hurt our kid."  
  
"I would never hurt them," Edelgard promises, sitting up slightly as this conversation shifts into a much more serious one that she expected.  
  
"I know. But I-I'm not trying to beat a dead horse but sometimes you have uh… questionable… convictions, El." Edelgard slackens her jaw, but doesn't argue. "If I don't think you're doing the right thing, I'm taking our kid and going. Cuz that's… that's what my Dad did. He tried to do the right thing even though it was hard. He just didn't follow up in a good way. I hope I don't mess our kid up like him," Byleth utters, very sporadically rubbing Edelgard still. The emperor takes her wife’s hands in hers and presses them against her own chest.  
  
"I admire that you can be so serious about our child's life that you would do anything for them. I feel the same. And while Dorothea may have a point, I find I'm falling more in line with you. Our child should certainly come first."  
  
"Good," Byleth breathes. "I didn't want you to take that the wrong way."  
  
"I understand what you're saying well. I never felt like my Father did what was best for me, it was what was best for himself. I hated it. Our child will grow up knowing we do what we will for them, not anyone else." Byleth smiles at that, looking down at their conjoined hands. "The way you speak of our child gives me confidence, you know? I always knew you'd be a wonderful mother."  
  
"I'm still scared," Byleth admits, leaning her face naturally closer to her wife’s.  
  
"I'm scared too. And it worries me, knowing how fragile Fodlan still is under my rule. Sometimes I feel like I'll wake up, and everything we worked for will fall away because some group of foul creatures like those who slither in the dark will rear their ugly heads. And then what will that mean for our child? How do we fight now that you and I both have lost our flames?" Byleth nods in understanding, bumping her nose into Edelgard’s.  
  
"It worries me that I'm not strong enough," Byleth whispers. "But that's what Hubert, or Ferdinand, Dorothea, Petra, all of them and all of our allies are for. We don't have to fight like we used to El. I think we should just enjoy the things that we have now. Yeah?" Edelgard laughs quietly, putting her hands in Byleth’s hair so she can hold her wife’s face closer. Their breaths brush against each other’s lips, and their hearts beat at nearly the same time as they stare into one another's eyes.  
  
"You have always put me at ease in the worst-case scenarios. Now is no different, my one true light." With a satisfied hum, Byleth wraps her arms around her wife’s waist and slowly eases her onto her back as they share slow, chaste kisses.  



	9. Chapter 9

  
She's due in three weeks. That's all. Her entire life will change in three short weeks.  
  
"I don't know if I'm ready after all," Edelgard says aloud, running her hands through her loose hair. She's exhausted, and it shows in everything from the bags under her eyes to her hunched posture to her lack of headdress. Hubert sits across from her, crossing his legs as he listens on. This is unusual for them, sitting together in his room (especially when there is still work to be done and a meeting to be had in a half hour). But Edelgard was fidgeting relentlessly throughout lunch, and Hubert couldn't stand the sight. Without Byleth around (for she had to head into the city for work) Hubert felt it was on his sturdy shoulders to get to the root of it.  
  
"I seem to always be the bearer of bad news," he snickers, waving a hand, "But it’s a tad too late for second guessing, Your Majesty."  
  
"I realize," she bites back, trying to cross her arms over her chest and then realizing that's far too painful to do with her breasts being as swollen as they are. _I pray that won't always be the case. ...I quite miss Byleth kissing them,_ she thinks despite herself. "Take this seriously," she huffs.  
  
"I am." He sits more upright now. "I'm just being truthful with you when I say anything. For I find it ironic you faced the world dead in the eyes while something as innocent as having a child has you shaken to your core."  
  
"Innocent doesn't mean easy," Edelgard argues, playing with one of her buns for a second before feeling them pull at her temples too tightly. She reaches up and starts undoing them as she talks. "I'm excited for this. I want to have a child. I long for normalcy in mine and Byleth’s life we share together. But I… fear what will come of a child under the eyes of so much scrutiny. Outside of Enbarr, I have no idea what my child may hear of me."  
  
"They'll hear you're a savior; That their own Mother set free Fodlan from the tyranny of a crooked system." Hubert smiles slightly, pretending that he isn't transfixed on the emperor’s face as he hair falls against her cheeks and down her shoulders. "Or… They'll hear you're an absolute monster who broke apart entire lands, ripping people from their homes." Edelgard’s face sours and she holds her crown that's losing its polish day by day. "I see the reason for your worries. They are valid."  
  
"You have a way of making me feel both better and worse," Edelgard utters, glaring at her crown. "You're a treasure, my friend." He chuckles darkly, fixing his cufflink.  
  
"Your Majesty, you have always been prepared to be hated. You will just have to prepare your child to expect as much. And… if I'm being honest, Byleth’s blunt and some-what mindless influence will surely rub off on the child."  
  
"That's fairly rude," Edelgard refutes, shaking her head in disapproval. "Though I can see what you're saying. With Byleth around, the child will learn to stay cool headed and let things go more easily than I do."  
  
"Yes you do harbor many grudges," Hubert comments, shrugging. He can't say he isn't the same way. His whole life is based on one big grudge, really. "That reminds me, Bernadetta has finished the last of the child's bedroom."  
  
"Right. I was going to ask you to move the crib into my bedchambers. I should be keeping an eye on them."  
  
"...Sure," Hubert reluctantly agrees, picking at the short table beside him.  
  
"Is that a problem?" Edelgard asks, getting up and mumbling that she wants to go see the new room now. Hubert stands as well, hurrying to the door so he can open it for the emperor.  
  
"It's… slightly inappropriate of a comment to make in front of you, Your Majesty." Edelgard raises a brow at him and he sweats slightly under the collar. "Well Byleth and I chose for the child's room to be further away from yours for a very specific reason." He and Edelgard set off on a slower pace, and with every step, Edelgard can feel her stomach clenching uncomfortably. She's really looking forward to this ending soon.  
  
"Spit it out."  
  
"Well," Hubert groans, "You don't want your child to hear anything they don't need to, yes? It's best they stay far far away from your room, Your Majesty." Edelgard tries connecting the dots, clearly not getting it. Hubert sighs and rubs the bridge of his nose. "You two have a very active… sex life." Edelgard freezes dead in her tracks and nearly topples over before Hubert grabs her by the arm just to release like her elbow is molten lava.  
  
"What?! We--" she sputters. "It's rare that I'm ever--I mean we--I--"  
  
"--Ok," Hubert chuckles, just making Edelgard more embarrassed as she rubs the blush off of her face.  
  
"Leave me. I'll look at the room on my own. Just take this crown to my room, if you will."  
  
"But--"  
  
"-- _Go_." Hubert rejectedly nods, gently taking the ram horns, and warps away, finally allowing Edelgard to take a big breath. She glances around the hall once she touches the door of the baby's room. Call her crazy but she can feel some sort of current in her veins that's traveling through the air and she turns the knob and shoves the door open. The sight she's greeted to must be one of the purest she's ever laid her eyes on. The room isn't gendered so to speak, particularly because Byleth asked it not to be. Edelgard has no problems with that, so she asked Bernadetta to have someone from the staff paint the room a neutral, soft blue with sheets that are fine burgundy silk, with a rug below that matches. The dark wooded crib is sat next to the bed the baby will take up later on, and a tall toy sticks up from the side and hangs over the crib, looking to replicate stars that they can wish upon. _That's touching_ , Edelgard thinks, running her hands along the cribs siding. When her eyes wander over to the massive toy chest on the floor, she notices that an obviously Byleth-purchased teddy bear is resting on the floor, and it’s a massive one, probably four feet tall. The emperor laughs, rubbing her hand over her stomach.  
  
The more she looks around, the more she notices how Byleth-like this room is. The walls are blue, everything is simple in pattern except for the curtains that are somewhat similar to the pattern of Byleth’s old lace stockings. There are smaller details, like how when Edelgard opens the dresser drawers, there are mats inside that are also lace, and they smell of flowers, carnations specifically. Edelgard chuckles when she realizes she somehow missed that the smallest wall, and the one where the door out is, is covered in hand painted fish.  
  
"Oh no, my light," Edelgard laughs, freely and loudly. "Lace and fish. That's one too many statements." She steps closer, holding her chin as she inspects each drawn fish. _Did Byleth do this herself? With the accuracy of each fish’s anatomy, I would assume so. I didn't realize she was so good at painting. Hmm… Painting; I should make some time for that this weekend._ The door suddenly creeps open and Byleth walks through, looking forward with a huge brown bag under one arm. "Hello, Byleth." To anyone else, Byleth didn't bat an eye, but the way her shoulders jerked up in Edelgard’s eyes, was equivalent to her jumping straight in the air. "I didn't mean to scare you," Edelgard chuckles.  
  
"I just didn't expect you to be in here," Byleth defensively remarks, trying to play it cool now. Edelgard’s amused, but she drops it with a shake of her head. "How do you like the room?" Byleth sets the bag on the bed and starts pulling things out.  
  
"I love it. What is--You got them a small fishing pole. Of course you did," Edelgard sighs. Byleth giggles in the most girly way Edelgard’s ever heard from her and then pulls out a small thing Edelgard knows to be a bait box.  
  
"It's a good teacher of patience."  
  
"Mmm," Edelgard goes. "No, I think they will be taught that just by being in your presence, love."  
  
"Are you making fun of me?" Byleth asks, grinning. Edelgard cheekily pinches her wife’s cheek as an answer, and Byleth pulls out something else; a leather bound sketchbook that has a gorgeous red ribbon hanging from the top as a bookmark.  
  
"Wow." Edelgard gently takes it from Byleth’s hands and opens to the center, dragging her hand over the pages that feel thick and smooth. Certainly good for both graphite and some sort of ink wash. "What a lovely thing."  
  
"I figured you would teach the kid how to draw someday. I can just picture it now, the three of us taking a weekend off somewhere far from Enbarr where we can sit by a river and fish and paint and draw and eat cake or whatever else." The wishful look on Byleth’s face is sweet and gentle, and Edelgard finds herself mirroring it. "I'm so excited," Byleth says, pulling out a small wooden box that houses a set of dull sharpened pencils. Edelgard immediately notices that it has the double headed eagle engraved in, and she kisses Byleth’s cheek.  
  
"You got these things custom made?" She asks.  
  
"Mhm," Byleth replies, picking up the small fishing rod again and pointing out the bottom half of the fishing pole's handle. It has the jaggedness of the sword of the creator; a beautiful touch.  
  
"Is there a reason you've influenced the child's items with our own touches?" Byleth hums and folds up the empty bag, walking around the room to place the new items where they should go.  
  
"I never got the chance to know where I came from. I think now, seeing what I've made of myself, of what you have made of yourself, it's important to acknowledge where you've been so you can look forward to where you're going." All said with the grace only Byleth could have. Edelgard finds herself falling in love all over again, feeling like the young teen she was who fawned over nearly every word her teacher said, especially in moments like these, where Byleth spoke from the heart.  
  
"I couldn't agree more."  
  
One Thirty-Two A.M.:  
  
Edelgard's always ran warm, but right now, even with the comforter kicked down by her feet, just the clothes on her back are melting into her skin. She pulls at them, tossing and turning in bed as she groans under her breath. To top it all off, she feels the baby kicking again, and her hips buck uncomfortably before she tries to lay on her side, failing with how large her stomach is now. I'm so tired of laying on my back, she thinks exhaustedly, running and hand through her hair to try and calm herself. Her back is sore, but it hurts even trying to sit up. Still, her throat is feeling so dry it may well crack, so when she stretches out her short arm and tries getting her water, only her fingertips graze the glass. Of course. She has no choice but to sit up, but doing so feels like her entire body is snapping in two.  
  
"Ah--!" She slaps a hand over her mouth and glances at her wife with wide eyes. Of course just the tiniest noise from Edelgard wakes Byleth up, grabbing for Edelgard’s hand, and the poor empress blinks a thousand times before she's fully conscious. "Byleth go bac--nnh--back to bed." Byleth frowns, sliding her hand over Edelgard’s back to find it drenched in sweat.  
  
"Why are you so hot?" Byleth asks worriedly, noticing that Edelgard is still trying to reach her glass. Byleth hurriedly pushes herself off the bed and picks up the cup, gently pulling Edelgard up and pressing the glass to her dry lips. Edelgard drinks so fast she nearly chokes, and Byleth rubs her upper back to ease her out of her coughing fit.  
  
"I feel awful," Edelgard cries, trying not to let the anxiety thumping in the back of her mind kill her, yet failing miserably at keeping such worries at bay. Everything happens at once, starting with more heat and contractions that rock her whole body before she starts panicking, about things like what if she’s sick what if the baby isn't ok what if she can't get the baby out somehow what if this what if that--  
  
"Breathe," Byleth orders, sitting just far enough from Edelgard so as to not let her get warmer. "Let's take off your pajamas, ok?"  
  
"No I-I can't move," Edelgard pants, grabbing low at her stomach. She's biting back tears right now the contractions are so bad.  
  
"Do you think you're going into labor?" Edelgard's eyes snap open and she looks at Byleth in a searing hot panic before she touches between her legs. No wetness.  
  
"My water h-hasn't broken. So I don't think so," Edelgard tells her, trying to breathe in through her nose instead of her mouth. "I feel sick. I don't know why. I didn't eat anything heavy--I don't think I did."  
  
"Maybe you're ramping up the pain in your own head," Byleth explains, softly kneading one of Edelgard’s hips. "El, let me lay you on your side." Edelgard nods but then slaps a hand over her mouth. A vile amount of something feels like it’s about to come up her throat, and she literally gags on it. Byleth jumps off the bed and glances around for something in the dark. She rushes towards the small trash can by the dresser and throws herself back against Edelgard’s side, holding the tin and brushing all of Edelgard’s hair back as she starts dry heaving. The sound is horrifying, and Byleth hates how Edelgard’s wide scared eyes are filling with tears. She continues to hover her face over the can for the next few minutes, and nothing comes up her throat, so Byleth hesitantly pulls the trash can away and sets it down nearby. Edelgard just feels like her insides are rumbling, but the rest of her body still feels weak and achy. "Rest on your side El. You're looking a bit faint." Edelgard nods, only moving when Byleth eases her down onto the bed. The second Edelgard hits the pillow, her groin starts pounding like the rapid banging of a snare drum.  
  
"Ghh--" She grabs at her groin, clenching her teeth all over again. "Byleth. I'm so scared," Edelgard whispers, shutting her eyes as if that will make her admittance not real to the world. How could she, the fearless flame emperor, be scared of something so small compared to taking on the entire country as it was? Ridiculous, yet here she is, shivering in her bed while being held by her wife she can't even breathe without. She feels somewhat pitiful as she says, "It's going to hurt so much isn't it?"  
  
"I'm sorry." Byleth gets completely on her side and snuggles into her wife the best she can, nearly having only a foot of space between the empress and the edge of the mattress.  
  
"Hundreds of women die from childbirth alone," Edelgard reminds her quietly.  
  
"That won't be you," Byleth insists, frowning deeply. "You went through your heart surgery and lived, El. You can handle anything." Edelgard groans again, uncomfortably shifting her hips as she hugs Byleth’s arms that are low on Edelgard’s stomach. Byleth deeply frowns, trying to think of any way she can relieve some of her wife’s pain. She presses a litter of kisses to the back of Edelgard’s neck, thinking through anything she can say to at least distract the emperor for a few minutes. "Do you want to talk? Just about anything. Maybe it will help." Edelgard takes in one massive breath, holding it for a moment before letting it go. That seems to be enough for her to answer with,  
  
"That'd be good. Though you speak first… I don't think I can think straight right now." Byleth nods and settles on running her hand along Edelgard’s hip over and over for some semblance of relaxation. The first thing Byleth thinks of asking about is Edelgard’s connection to her Mother. Here and there Edelgard’s mentioned things about her father and his duty to marry multiple women just so he could have a flock of suitable successors… but when it came to her mother, all Byleth knows is that she married King Lambert, Dimitri’s father. Though… maybe asking Edelgard about that will end up going south. Byleth hums aloud again, pondering what she should and shouldn't ask. "Say what you will," Edelgard tells her, putting her hand over Byleth’s and interlacing their fingers like this. "I can almost hear your brain turning."  
  
"Did you get to spend a long time with your mother before she left for the Kingdom?" Edelgard lets out a quiet resentful breath before stuffing her face closer into her pillow.  
  
"She was a wonderful mother until the moment she left. I… didn't know where she went. Never saw her once I got to Faerghus."  
  
"You didn't know Dimitri was your stepbrother then?"  
  
"At that time no, he was just a friend. A wonderful one," Edelgard sighs, holding Byleth’s hand tighter. "My Mother was always generous with me. I was her only child. She nearly bent over backwards anytime I asked for the smallest thing. Perhaps I yearn to be that way with our child."  
  
"Spoiling them?" Byleth asks.  
  
"Mhm."  
  
"...But then they'll be all… sour about things," Byleth explains. "We don't want a Ferdinand," she laughs. Edelgard groans and twists her neck so she can eye her wife.  
  
"We mustn't even mutter that aloud, or it may well come to be," Edelgard warns, frowning much like she did when Byleth first met her. At the sight of that pouty face, Byleth chuckles and squeezes Edelgard’s hand.  
  
"You're doing that cute face again," Byleth points out.  
  
"It's not cute!" She sighs as she gets up on one elbow. "My back is hurting all over again. Give me a moment." Byleth helps her sit up, their entire sides pressed together with their backs to the headboard.  
  
"It's funny how much you've changed since I met you… but sometimes you still do things just like you did back then. Know what I mean?" Byleth asks.  
  
"I suppose in some ways I'm still that girl, however much I wish I wasn't."  
  
"That seems to be a theme with you," Byleth mentions, waving a hand in gesture. "You always want to completely distance yourself from who you were."  
  
"It feels like such a long time ago that it makes logical sense in my mind," Edelgard explains, rubbing low on her stomach and feeling the thump of the baby's kick against her palm.  
  
"I still liked you a lot," Byleth says, smiling afterward. "Even if you were pretty harsh sometimes."  
  
"Harsh? ...Mmm. I can see that." The emperor blinks up at the empress with an apology in her eyes.  
  
"I think the arrogance is the best thing you left behind," Byleth chuckles out. "'What? Do I look green to you?'" Edelgard winces, not remembering exactly when she said that while also recalling it somewhere far back in her head, far enough to itch with embarrassment. "Ah. And we can't forget when you chewed me out after my Dad die--er. Passed. When he passed," Byleth mumbles, feeling that same sinking in her stomach as she often does when someone so much as says Jeralt’s name aloud. Then there's always that nagging, awful, dark, horrible worry Byleth shoulders, wondering if Edelgard really did have something to do with Kronya's attack at the time. Edelgard did end up getting the professor to side with her just a few short months later; it all lines up really, seeing as how desperate Byleth was for something to believe in around then. Just thinking these things makes Byleth feel all sorts of guilty. _Questioning my own wife still. When will I let it go?_  
  
"I never meant for it to come off so rudely," Edelgard quietly rebuttals, looking up at Byleth who’s looking downcast. "When I saw you, someone I saw such strength in, completely falling apart like that… I suppose it scared me." Byleth finally makes eye contact with Edelgard once the emperor presses a kiss to her shoulder. "It was selfish, but I needed you to get past the grief. I needed you to help me with my goals. I wouldn't have ever gotten where we are now if I hadn't had you with me that day I was throned."  
  
"I know," Byleth says, pursing her lips afterward. "Anyways, how're your contractions?" Edelgard shimmies her hips side to side, unintentionally drawing Byleth to them like a moth to flame.  
  
"I feel better. I suppose there are fruits to chatting idly," Edelgard jests, patting her stomach. "I'm glad they've calmed down; they've gotten quite finicky lately."  
  
"Well they wouldn't be our kid if they weren't headstrong." The empress leans in to press soft kisses to Edelgard’s head, starting off with pecks that devolve into wetter, longer kisses near her jaw. The shaky exhale that comes out of Edelgard’s parted lips is music to Byleth’s ears.  
  
"I've been thinking," Edelgard quietly says, reaching to put a hand on Byleth’s thigh.  
  
"Mm?"  
  
"It's just--" Byleth drags her tongue from Edelgard’s collar bone, up her neck, over her jaw, up to her earlobe, then sucks gently. "Byleth, I'll never be able to spit these words out if you keep kissing me like that."  
  
"Mm." Byleth smirks to herself as she continues her little path, up and down from her wife’s ear to her clavicle, over and over. Her rough hands run along Edelgard’s thigh and sneak under the fabric on her back, kneading the muscles slightly as she goes. "What's on your mind?"  
  
"Just-- _that feels good_ \--Just pondering how often we'll have alone time together after the baby's born."  
  
"We'll find time," Byleth promises, sucking a light mark on the emperor’s neck. "We'll _make_ time if we must." Soon Byleth’s rubbing along Edelgard’s thigh becomes more amorous, dragging her hand higher up between Edelgard’s legs as she goes.  
  
"I wonder," Edelgard starts, getting slightly distracted as her waist floods with arousal she can't control. "I wonder how long recovery takes after giving birth?" Byleth chuckles, the kind that's deep and just… arousing, to say the least. Edelgard squeezes her eyes shut reveling in the feeling of Byleth finally pressing her thumb up against her lower lips over her pajama bottoms.  
  
"Why?" Edelgard chuckles this time, only to be cut off by a tiny whimper when her wife presses in harder. The two eye each other in the darkness, almost daring the other to take this further. "Come on, say it."  
  
"Because I don't want to wait long until you can be inside me again," Edelgard firmly states, roughly grabbing Byleth by her opposite sleeve and jerking her forward so their lips can clash. Even if her body can’t respond quite so actively, Edelgard’s mouth sure can, and she’s using way more tongue and teeth than she usually would. When Byleth’s hand drops from the side of her jaw down to her breast, Edelgard’s whole body leans into it, and a surge of wetness dampens her thighs. It turns Edelgard on more, and she whines against the empress’s lips, hissing when Byleth bites the tip of her tongue. Behave, the empress says with her eyes, grinning all the while. They know it'll be unwise to take this further; they both need rest, and Edelgard’s bump is getting harder and harder to work around. Nevertheless, Byleth asks,  
  
"Do you want to try a different way? I've thought up new positions for you to be comfortable in." The emperor smiles, biting the inside of her lip as she watches in awe as her hands slide over Byleth’s bare arm. "El?"  
  
"No. I don't want to have sex again until I can reciprocate." Byleth _tsks_ and pulls the emperor in for a hug. Such a simple action has Edelgard releasing more arousal, and she chides herself, wondering if she'll ever have control over her body when in the presence of Byleth. Though it's been years and she can't pretend her control hadn't started slipping the second Byleth saved her from that bandit all those years ago.  
  
"I don't need it," Byleth tells her, letting her hardened fingertips intermingle with Edelgard’s ends hanging near her waist. "I like just getting to touch you."  
  
"So selfless. You deserve to be worshipped just as often," Edelgard argues, feeling herself get wetter. It's… almost uncomfortable. A warning bell goes off somewhere in the back of her mind. This feels different.  
  
"You think my touches are worshipping?" She sounds amused as she asks, and Edelgard leans her forehead against Byleth’s cheek, playfully picking at Byleth’s sides.  
  
"I'm not sure there's a better way to describe it."  
  
"Heh. I can't argue that," Byleth admits, squeezing her arms around Edelgard tighter. " _Goddess_ , I love you El."  
  
"I love you," Edelgard whispers back, and more wetness soaks her thighs. She frowns and shifts her hips, looking down at her lap, unable to even see a majority of her thighs. She just feels so wet. It's… not right. "Byleth will you please light a candle? I need your help."  
  
"Of course."  
  
"It may sound odd, but I need you to look between my legs. I just--" she feels more wetness, again. Then her eyes widen, and realization slowly drapes over her. "--I think my water broke." Byleth pauses mid-candle, holding up the flame that just lit one wick before blinking herself out of her stupor. When the room is lit just enough to see a bit past their bed, Byleth drops to her knees and slowly pulls Edelgard closer to the edge. Without thinking, the emperor tries to sit upright so she can look down, but Byleth gently pushes her back, asking her to lie on her back. "I… can't recall knowing how to see a difference in the type of liquid, but. Um." She quiets down when Byleth pushes her gown up her waist and kisses her thigh, making every muscle twitch in her leg.  
  
"We'll figure it out," Byleth promises, "Together." Edelgard nods, and her hair bunches up under her neck. Byleth breathes in, she can't smell any sort of difference, but she doesn't utter that aloud. The empress eases Edelgard’s underwear down her hips and holds them closer to the light. This time Edelgard doesn't try to look, and Byleth chalks it up to nervousness, almost not wanting it to happen yet out of fear. It doesn't feel like arousal, Byleth notes. Seems far more wet, too. Byleth’s neck starts to itch, and her shoulders tighten up as she sets the clothing down. She was just about to tell Edelgard what she thinks when she sees more spill out between her legs. _Yeah. Not arousal_. Byleth clears her throat, takes Edelgard’s hands, and pulls her up. When their noses bump, Byleth kisses her, interlacing their fingers and steeling her own resolve. _I swear I'll make this hurt less for you. Somehow, El._ The look in Edelgard’s eyes shows a scared yet quiet understanding.  
  
"We should move to the other room?" Edelgard asks, meaning the room that's been set up for when the emperor delivers. Byleth nods, and Edelgard shakily sighs, trying and failing to hide the fear that makes her body tremble.  
  
"Do you want it to be just Bernadetta for now? We won't need the actual deliverer until a few hours in." Edelgard whines in response. Truly whines. And Byleth tries not to sympathetically kiss her for it (knowing the emperor will be all sorts of upset at Byleth for acknowledging it). "Come on. I'll carry you."  
  
Thirteen Hours Later:  
  
"Ghh-- _ennngh!_ " Edelgard cries, just about breaking Byleth’s hand in hers as she holds on for dear life. "It hurts. It hurts so bad! I can't _ever_ do this again, Byleth. Do you h--UNGH--HEAR me?!"  
  
"I know, El." Byleth bites down on her lip, apologizing to Bernadetta with her eyes since she's on Edelgard’s opposite side, doing a few minor healing spells Manuela's taught her.  
  
“Ah! Yes!” goes the old, smiling midwife to her assistant. Edelgard and Byleth can’t see her, seeing as the two set up a sort of blanket-like shield from the top of the canopy bed so the emperor wouldn’t have to see the two between her legs. Edelgard asked for that, knowing she can’t handle thinking too hard about how people other than Byleth are seeing such an intimate part of her body. “The baby’s head is here now, Emperor Edelgard. So they are coming from the right direction. One less worry, Your Majesty! Nearly there, now.” Edelgard grits her teeth, bitterly putting the tightly rolled rag between her teeth yet again before pushing for the umpteenth time.  
  
“Bernie,” Byleth goes, looking at her with a supportive nod. “Do that spell again. The one that relaxes her muscles.”  
  
“R-right.” Bernadetta snaps her fingers, trying to recall it before stuttering out a few lines and waving her hands about. “Breathe through your nose,” Bernadetta reminds Edelgard, who aggravatedly tries slowing down her own breath to no avail. Agonizing minutes go by, and then nearly an hour before--  
  
“One more hard push Your Majesty! Your daughter is nearly there!”  
  
“Daughter?” Both Edelgard and Byleth ask in unison, looking each other in the eyes.  
  
“Yes and, well… you’ll see her soon,” the midwife says, voice dripping with fondness. This is the same woman who has delivered each of Ionious the IX’s wives’ children. “Come now, Your Majesty. One last grand push.” Edelgard closes her eyes, takes in one massive breath, and pushes as she exhales, gripping Byleth’s hand all the while.  
  
….  
  
She hears a baby crying quietly.  
  
Byleth immediately jumps away from Edelgard’s side, heart racing a mile a minute. _She’s crying_ , Byleth thinks, tears coming to her eyes. _Thank Goddess she’s crying. She won’t be like me. She’s normal._ The empress slaps a hand over her face and cries silently into her own palm, hiding her eyes as the midwife and her assistant wipe the baby clean. Bernadetta casts one more healing spell on Edelgard before getting up and taking the child in her arms, looking down at her with a jaw slightly open.  
  
“Sh-she’s so beautiful, Professor--I mean, Byleth!” Bernie stutters, shaking as she cautiously wraps the baby up in a tiny silky crimson blanket. Byleth quickly pulls herself together, wiping her red eyes before clearing her throat and looking at Bernadetta, then down, and coming face to face with her own flesh and blood. Byleth glances at Edelgard, nearly asleep as her eyes flutter open and closed. She finds that her own arms can’t even move, and Bernadetta lifts the baby slightly higher up, and the infant’s head bobs, trying to look at Byleth who’s not even able to breathe right now. “Um. Byleth?” The empress clears her throat once again, berating herself until the baby’s tiny, nearly cat paw sized hand reaches out towards her. Slowly, painstakingly so, Byleth reaches for that tiny hand, grinning at how the baby giggles and squeezes her entire fist around just two of Byleth’s fingers. “You should hold her,” Bernadetta urges, pushing the baby closer to Byleth who doesn’t hesitate this time. The second the child is in her mother’s arms, she giggles and tucks her face against Byleth’s breast, not trying to suck, but seeking closeness.  
  
So Byleth sits down on the edge of the bed, looking down at her child who’s blinking up at her with her intensely colored eyes that are the most perfect blend of deep dark blue and warm crimson red. She has a fair amount of flat brown hair at the top of her head that will soon be covered by the small white cap Bernadetta just set beside Byleth’s thigh. The midwife and her assistant are muttering something about stitches and then asking Bernadetta for healing chants, but Byleth’s not paying attention, she’s watching her daughter as the baby’s hands start to reach for the ends of Byleth’s hair and tug. The empress can’t help but lean down and press a tiny kiss to the child’s stomach, and the carefree giggle that comes out of the girl makes Bernadetta squeak at the cuteness. Edelgard stirs moments later, cautiously sitting up when the midwife tells her the stitches are done. She’s groggy only until Byleth calls out to her, and she finally recognizes the small bundle of crimson in her arms, and immediately bursts into tears.  
  
“Ahem,” Byleth goes, looking at the other three women and nodding towards the door. “Please. We need time.”  
  
“Right,” Bernadetta agrees, scratching the back of her head. The midwife bows, and so does her assistant, ignoring the crying emperor for now, before they all leave, dead silent. The baby watches Edelgard cry, and her brows come together, utterly confused before she too starts crying.  
  
“Er. Edelgard,” Byleth calls out. “The baby’s mimicking you already,” she points out amusedly, rocking the girl in her arms. Edelgard chokes back a jagged breath and wipes at her face.  
  
“I’m sorry I-I just feel so much right now. This is… I just…” Her lilac eyes fixate on the baby who’s still sniffling and playing with Byleth’s hair idly.  
  
“Take her, El.” Though, when Byleth tries to hand the baby over, Edelgard locks up, noticeably jerking back and wincing at the pain shooting up from between her legs. “Edelgard?”  
  
The emperor bites her tongue, looking at the baby again, telling herself over and over that, _this is our baby. My baby. We made this. She’s real. Just touch her. She won’t break. No one will come and take her from me. She’ll never deal with the cruelty of crests. She… won’t be treated like I was._ “Edelgard?” Byleth repeats, sounding worried this time. Edelgard bites the inside of her mouth and holds out her shaking hands.  
  
“I’m ready,” Edelgard breathes, staring down at her wife’s hands. Byleth gives Edelgard the girl, and Edelgard tucks their daughter into her chest, closer up to her shoulder as she rests a hand on the back of the baby’s head. It’s as close as she can get to hugging the infant without hurting her, and Byleth feels her heart twisting beneath her breast while her eyes are getting wet all over again, _this is annoying_. They don’t speak for a long stretch of time, just listening as the infant hiccups and sucks on her own tiny thumb as Edelgard strokes her back through the silk, over and over until the baby’s eyes start drifting closed in her bliss. All the while, Byleth wraps one arm around Edelgard’s back and sometimes tickles the little girl’s foot, just to hear her unapologetically joyful laugh that rattles her entire body. And the feeling that just being here, living in the moment, with just the three of them, elicits a pure happiness that lights up Edelgard’s heart like few others in her entire life. It isn’t like the elated, somewhat bittersweet feeling of when the war ended, or how high she felt when Byleth proposed to her, nor is it like the whirlwind of emotions that had her getting dizzy on the night Byleth first bedded her…. It’s like nothing else, and such a feeling will probably never come to pass again at such an intensity. This is what happiness is. Edelgard never thought--no never allowed herself to think she’d have such a feeling. But here, by Byleth’s side. She finally has it. She could burst into tears yet again, laughing all the while, and it’d finally be ok for her to do that, too.  
  
"Her name should be Violet," Byleth says quietly, resting her hand over Edelgard’s that’s petting the infant.  
  
“A color that marries both red and blue,” Edelgard hums, smiling as the baby looks up at her. “Our colors, Byleth.”  
  
“Our colors,” Byleth repeats, resting her chin on Edelgard’s shoulder just for the baby to be distracted by her blue hair as she tries to put some of it in her toothless mouth. Edelgard chuckles as she pushes Byleth’s hair back and the girl whines until Edelgard gives her her thumb, letting the baby suck on the tip. “Her eyes are made of our colors. It seems perfect to me.”  
  
“I like it,” Edelgard states, kissing her girl’s forehead. “Violet,” she says to the baby who looks up at her in response. “Do you like that name as well?” Violet whimpers. “She likes it, my light.”  
  
“Good,” Byleth breathes, trying not to cry again as she stuffs her face into Edelgard’s neck. “Welcome to the family, Violet.”  


**Author's Note:**

> Dude I have been sitting on this damn story for three months as I shuffle my way through school. Halfway through my junior year of art school. Cra cra. Anyhow. I got through the Golden Deer during the first month of school, skipping class once a week to play (lol). This is a continuation of my last story I did. I like this one better. It reads way more naturally, and Byleth is way sweeter I think. I'm... very excited to see what you guys think as this fic goes on. I usually update every other day. And don't worry, this isn't just a "CREST REMOVAL" story. It evolves naturally. Thanks for giving this fic a shot.


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